Rail transport in Cameroon
Encyclopedia
Rail transport in Cameroon
is primarily operated by Camrail
, a subsidiary of Comazar
.
in the Central African Republic. http://allafrica.com/stories/201009240333.html
There are also plans for an iron ore railway, which however might be isolated from existing railways. The distance from the mine to the nearest likely port is about 500 km as the crow flies
. A connection to the nearest Camrail
line at Mbalmayo
on the Nyong River
would be 350 km long. Because of the heavy tonnages to be carried, this railway is likely to be (standard gauge
). The railway is being designed with Quantm
software. The railway would run from mines near Mbalam
to a port near Lolabe
. The expected traffic is 35 million tonnes per year for 25 years.
Separate from the metre gauge
mainlines were narrow gauge
plantation railways, especially in the Tiko
area. These served cocoa and sugar plantations.
In December 2010, it was reported that a South Korea
n consortium planned to build new railways in Cameroon.
have no railways at all; Nigeria
, Gabon, and Republic of the Congo
have a different gauge
.
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
is primarily operated by Camrail
Camrail
Camrail is a company that has been granted a 20 year concession to operate the Cameroon National Railway. This Cameroonian company is a subsidiary of French investment group Bolloré. The railway has been operated by Comazar, a subsidiary of Bolloré, since 1999...
, a subsidiary of Comazar
Comazar
Comazar is a company that operates railways in Africa. Its stock is majority owned by the French investment group Bolloré.Comazar was founded by Eric Peiffer and Patrick Claes in conjunction with Transnet and Transurb Consult in 1995.The headquarters are in Johannesburg.- Related organizations...
.
Infrastructure
There are plans to extend from Mbalmayo to BanguiBangui
-Law and government:Bangui is an autonomous commune of the Central African Republic. With an area of 67 km², it is by far the smallest high-level administrative division of the CAR in area but the highest in population...
in the Central African Republic.
There are also plans for an iron ore railway, which however might be isolated from existing railways. The distance from the mine to the nearest likely port is about 500 km as the crow flies
As the crow flies
"As the crow flies" or beelining is an idiom for the shortest route between two points; the geodesic distance.An example is the great-circle distance between Key West and Pensacola, at either end of the U.S...
. A connection to the nearest Camrail
Camrail
Camrail is a company that has been granted a 20 year concession to operate the Cameroon National Railway. This Cameroonian company is a subsidiary of French investment group Bolloré. The railway has been operated by Comazar, a subsidiary of Bolloré, since 1999...
line at Mbalmayo
Mbalmayo
Mbalmayo, chef-lieu du département du Nyong –et – So’o est une ville d’environ 120 000 habitants sur les bords du Fleuve Nyong, située à 38km de Yaoundé....
on the Nyong River
Nyong River
The Nyong is a river in Cameroon. The river flows approximately 640 km to empty into the Gulf of Guinea.-Transport:The town of Mbalmayo, which has a railhead, lies on the north bank of this river. The towns of Akonolinga and Abong-Mbang also lie on it....
would be 350 km long. Because of the heavy tonnages to be carried, this railway is likely to be (standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
). The railway is being designed with Quantm
Quantm
Quantm is a software package that is used to optimise the routes of roads and railways. This was hitherto a tedious and laborious task as huge amounts of data are involved and the number of options is large as well...
software. The railway would run from mines near Mbalam
Mbalam
Mbalam is a place in Cameroon near the southern border with Gabon border where there are significant deposits of iron ore. The mining company is Sundance Resources Limited.- Railway :...
to a port near Lolabe
Lolabé
Lolabé is a small coastal town in Cameroon. It lies on the Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Kribi and the border with Equatorial Guinea.- Port :...
. The expected traffic is 35 million tonnes per year for 25 years.
Separate from the metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
mainlines were narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
plantation railways, especially in the Tiko
Tiko
Tiko, Originally called ‘Keka’ by the Bakweris, is a town and important port in the southwest region of Cameroon. The settlement grew as a market town for Duala fishermen, Bakweri farmers and hunters from Molyko, Bwenga, Bulu and Bokova...
area. These served cocoa and sugar plantations.
In December 2010, it was reported that a South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n consortium planned to build new railways in Cameroon.
Adjacent countries
There are no links to railways in adjoining countries. Chad and Equatorial GuineaRail transport in Equatorial Guinea
The history of rail transport in Equatorial Guinea began in 1913, when a gauge railway was constructed from the capital of Equatorial Guinea, Santa Isabel, to the nearby villages of Banapa and Basupo...
have no railways at all; Nigeria
Rail transport in Nigeria
Railways in Nigeria are operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation. As of 2003, Nigeria’s poorly maintained rail system had 3,557 kilometers of narrow gauge track...
, Gabon, and Republic of the Congo
Rail transport in the Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo has 795 kilometres of railway track which includes 285 km of private track . The track gauge is . The Congo-Ocean Railway connects Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.- Railway links to adjacent countries :...
have a different gauge
Break-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
.
Standards
- Brakes: WestinghouseWestinghouse Air Brake CompanyThe railway air brake was invented by George Westinghouse of New York state in 1869. Soon after, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he established the Westinghouse Air Brake Company on September 28, 1869...
Air - Couplings: SA3SA3 couplerThe SA3 coupler is a type of railway coupling used mainly, but not exclusively, in Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union.Railways in Russia used European buffers and couplings from their inception. These couplings had three main limitations. Firstly the load was limited. Secondly, the...
See also
- Railways in Cameroon
- Railway stations in CameroonRailway stations in Cameroon- Maps :* * - Stations served by passenger trains :- Existing :* Limbe - port, terminal, cement works --------* Nkongsamba - railhead in northwest - rehabilitate* Mbanga - junction in west** Kumba - branch terminus in west...