The
Trans-Gabon Railway is the only railway in
GabonGabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
. It runs 670 km east from
OwendoOwendo is a port city in Gabon, forming a south western suburb of Libreville. It lies at the western end of the Trans-Gabon Railway, and was opened in 1988.- See also :* List of deep water ports * Cement in Africa- External links :*...
port station in
LibrevilleLibreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon, in west central Africa. The city is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea, and a trade center for a timber region. As of 2005, it has a population of 578,156.- History :...
to
FrancevilleFranceville or Masuku is one of the four largest cities in Gabon, with a population of around 22,000 people. It lies on the River Mpassa and at the end of the Trans-Gabon Railway and the N3 road. It grew from a village named Masuku when Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza chose it to resettle former...
via numerous stations, the main ones being
NdjoléNdjolé is a town in Gabon, lying north east of Lambaréné on the River Ogooué, the N2 road and the Trans-Gabon Railway. It is known as a base for logging and as a transport hub. Ndjolé is the last city that can be reached by barge traffic traveling up the Ogooué River. Above Ndjolé there are...
, Lopé,
BoouéBooué is a town located in Ogooué-Ivindo province, Gabon. Founded in 1883 by Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, the town lies on the Ogooué River which provided the main communication channel before the development of roads and railway.- Transport :...
,
LastoursvilleLastoursville or Mandji is a city in central Gabon, lying on the River Ogooué, the Trans-Gabon Railway and the N3 road. It was founded as a slave depot named Mandji, renamed Maadiville in 1883 and finally took its current name for François Rigail de Lastours in 1886...
and
MoandaMoanda is one of the largest towns in Gabon, lying on the N3 road in Haut Ogooué. It is also one of the most important manganese mining towns in the world, under the auspices of the Compagnie Minière de l'Ogooué , which began mining in 1957...
.
Construction
A railway was first planned in 1885. Investigations into the line were conducted in 1968, funding was agreed in 1973, and construction began the following year. The first section, from Owendo to Ndjolé, opened in 1978, with the remaining sections opening in stages until December 1986. Costs were well over budget and almost bankrupted the country.
The Trans-Gabon Railroad is overall adjacent the
Ogooue RiverThe Ogooué , some 1,200 km long, is the principal river of Gabon in west central Africa. Its watershed drains nearly the entire country of Gabon, with some tributaries reaching into the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea....
until
NdjoléNdjolé is a town in Gabon, lying north east of Lambaréné on the River Ogooué, the N2 road and the Trans-Gabon Railway. It is known as a base for logging and as a transport hub. Ndjolé is the last city that can be reached by barge traffic traveling up the Ogooué River. Above Ndjolé there are...
. Most important constructions are the
Juckville TunnelThe Juckville Tunnel is the only tunnel on the Trans-Gabon Railway. It is 286 metres long and lies near the town of Lope, Gabon....
, the
viaductA viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
over the
Abanga-References:* Lerique Jacques. 1983. Hydrographie-Hydrologie. in Geographie et Cartographie du Gabon, Atlas Illustré led by The Ministère de l'Education Nationale de la Republique Gabonaise. Pg 14-15. Paris, France: Edicef.* Perusset André. 1983...
swampA swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
, and the bridge over the confluence between the
OgooueThe Ogooué , some 1,200 km long, is the principal river of Gabon in west central Africa. Its watershed drains nearly the entire country of Gabon, with some tributaries reaching into the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea....
and the
Ivindo RiverThe Ivindo River is the most important tributary of the Ogooué river, which flows in Gabon.- Course :The Ivindo River flows from northeast Gabon to the southwest, eventually emptying into the Ogoue River. It flows through some of the wildest and most attractive rainforest in Africa. The upper...
s.
The line to
FrancevilleFranceville or Masuku is one of the four largest cities in Gabon, with a population of around 22,000 people. It lies on the River Mpassa and at the end of the Trans-Gabon Railway and the N3 road. It grew from a village named Masuku when Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza chose it to resettle former...
was completed in 1987.
Specifications
Because the line was built well into the era of earthmoving machinery, the need to choose a narrow gauge to save costs was no longer important. However the choice of
standard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
took advantage of
off the shelfIn the United States, Commercially available Off-The-Shelf is a Federal Acquisition Regulation term defining a nondevelopmental item of supply that is both commercial and sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace, and that can be procured or utilized under government contract...
equipment.
Couplers are
SA3The 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...
.
Brakes are air.
List of Stations
The Trans-Gabon Railway, 669km, has 23 stations. There are consecutively:
- Sahoué
Sahoué is a port in Gabon. It is served by the Trans-Gabon Railway. It is located northwest of the capital at the extreme end of the Santa Clara peninsula....
- Owendo
Owendo is a port city in Gabon, forming a south western suburb of Libreville. It lies at the western end of the Trans-Gabon Railway, and was opened in 1988.- See also :* List of deep water ports * Cement in Africa- External links :*...
, (Kilometre Point) KP 0, which is near LibrevilleLibreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon, in west central Africa. The city is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea, and a trade center for a timber region. As of 2005, it has a population of 578,156.- History :...
- Ntoum
Ntoum is a town located in Estuaire Province, Gabon. It is the capital of the Komo-Mondah Department.- Transport :* It is located on the Trans-Gabon Railway about 40 km east of the capital Libreville, and is the proposed junction for the line to the iron ore exporting port of Santa Clara....
, KP 35,
- Andem, KP 57,
- M'Bel, KP 85,
- Oyam, KP 118,
- Abanga, KP 148,
- Ndjolé
Ndjolé is a town in Gabon, lying north east of Lambaréné on the River Ogooué, the N2 road and the Trans-Gabon Railway. It is known as a base for logging and as a transport hub. Ndjolé is the last city that can be reached by barge traffic traveling up the Ogooué River. Above Ndjolé there are...
, KP 182,
- Alembe, KP 202,
- Otoumbi, KP 226,
- Bissouna, KP 244,
- Ayem, KP 267,
- Lopé, KP 290
- Offoue, KP 312,
- Booue
Booué is a town located in Ogooué-Ivindo province, Gabon. Founded in 1883 by Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, the town lies on the Ogooué River which provided the main communication channel before the development of roads and railway.- Transport :...
, KP 338 - proposed junction to BelingaBelinga is a location in Gabon with as yet unexploited iron ore deposits. These ore deposits extend into neighbouring Cameroon and Congo.- Mining :The Belinga iron reserves were discovered in 1895...
- Ivindo
Ivindo may refer to:*Ivindo River -Gabon*Ivindo Department - Gabon*Ivindo National Park - Gabon...
, KP 375
- Mouyabi, KP 411
- Milole, KP 448
- Lastoursville
Lastoursville or Mandji is a city in central Gabon, lying on the River Ogooué, the Trans-Gabon Railway and the N3 road. It was founded as a slave depot named Mandji, renamed Maadiville in 1883 and finally took its current name for François Rigail de Lastours in 1886...
, KP 484
- Doume
-References:* * - Thèse de Donation Avele, Université Montesquieu Bordeaux IV * Charles Nanga, , Mémoire ENA....
, KP 514
- Lifouta, KP 549
- Mboungou-Mbadouma
Mboungou Mbadouma is a town in Gabon. It is located near the confluence between the Ogooue and the Leconi Rivers.- References :*...
, KP 584
- Moanda
Moanda is one of the largest towns in Gabon, lying on the N3 road in Haut Ogooué. It is also one of the most important manganese mining towns in the world, under the auspices of the Compagnie Minière de l'Ogooué , which began mining in 1957...
, KP 619
- Franceville
Franceville or Masuku is one of the four largest cities in Gabon, with a population of around 22,000 people. It lies on the River Mpassa and at the end of the Trans-Gabon Railway and the N3 road. It grew from a village named Masuku when Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza chose it to resettle former...
, KP 669
Economy
Originally intended to reach
MakokouMakokou is the regional capital of the Ogooué-Ivindo province in Gabon. Its coordinates are . Its altitude is 308 m. Its population in 2004 is around 16,600.The city lies on the Ivindo River and the N4 road...
and carry
iron ore, its route was changed for political reasons, namely to keep within national borders managanese ore traffic that went on the
COMILOG CablewayThe COMILOG Cableway was one of the longest cableways in the world, until its closure in 1986. The ropeway conveyor ran for 76 km from Moanda in the Haut-Ogooué Province of south eastern Gabon to Mbinda in the Republic of Congo....
via the Republic of Congo. When the railway reached the
manganeseManganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
mine at
MoandaMoanda is one of the largest towns in Gabon, lying on the N3 road in Haut Ogooué. It is also one of the most important manganese mining towns in the world, under the auspices of the Compagnie Minière de l'Ogooué , which began mining in 1957...
, the Cableway was closed.
The railway is also important for transporting
timberTimber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
and
uraniumUranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
in addition to being the only important
public transportPublic transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
route in the nation.
The railway was privatised in 1999. Plans regularly surface proposing an extension to
Brazzaville-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
in the
Republic of the CongoThe Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
. There would be a
break-of-gaugeWith 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...
should the Gabon, , and Congo, , systems ever meet.
Railway links with adjacent states
Equatorial GuineaThe 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...
- no - no railways
CameroonRail transport in Cameroon is primarily operated by Camrail, a subsidiary of Comazar.- Infrastructure :There are plans to extend from Mbalmayo to Bangui in the Central African Republic. http://allafrica.com/stories/201009240333.html...
- no - break of gauge /
Republic of the CongoThe 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 :...
- no - break of gauge /
Traffic
- In 1996, the railway carried 3MT of freight and 190,000 passengers.
- A new railway serving the iron ore deposits at Belinga
Belinga is a location in Gabon with as yet unexploited iron ore deposits. These ore deposits extend into neighbouring Cameroon and Congo.- Mining :The Belinga iron reserves were discovered in 1895...
might carry 30MT per annum of ore. Since this is ten times the traffic of the existing line, use of the existing line from the coast to the junction at BooueBooué is a town located in Ogooué-Ivindo province, Gabon. Founded in 1883 by Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, the town lies on the Ogooué River which provided the main communication channel before the development of roads and railway.- Transport :...
would require total reconstruction of the existing line, which is more easily done if a new line or track is built roughly parallel to the existing line. Since the two lines are the same gauge, it would of course be desirable for the two lines to connect.
Trivia
- The Trans-Gabon Railway is one of the few Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
n railways which was not built during the colonial period.
- The Trans-Gabon Railway crosses the Ogooue River
The Ogooué , some 1,200 km long, is the principal river of Gabon in west central Africa. Its watershed drains nearly the entire country of Gabon, with some tributaries reaching into the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea....
five times, at FrancevilleFranceville or Masuku is one of the four largest cities in Gabon, with a population of around 22,000 people. It lies on the River Mpassa and at the end of the Trans-Gabon Railway and the N3 road. It grew from a village named Masuku when Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza chose it to resettle former...
, at NdjoléNdjolé is a town in Gabon, lying north east of Lambaréné on the River Ogooué, the N2 road and the Trans-Gabon Railway. It is known as a base for logging and as a transport hub. Ndjolé is the last city that can be reached by barge traffic traveling up the Ogooué River. Above Ndjolé there are...
, and three times around BooueBooué is a town located in Ogooué-Ivindo province, Gabon. Founded in 1883 by Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, the town lies on the Ogooué River which provided the main communication channel before the development of roads and railway.- Transport :...
.
- Passenger services on the line are restricted to only three journeys per week.
- The project has been considered a pork barrelled project but is the source of pride among some.
Timeline
- New Hughes Communications
Hughes Communications is a provider of satellite-based communications services. The company operates its satellite business through its wholly owned subsidiary, HughesNet.In 2011, Hughes was acquired by EchoStar in a deal valued at US$1.3 billion....
satellite-based train control system installed.
2006
- June 2 - New line for iron ore from Belinga
Belinga is a location in Gabon with as yet unexploited iron ore deposits. These ore deposits extend into neighbouring Cameroon and Congo.- Mining :The Belinga iron reserves were discovered in 1895...
to port. Unclear if it will use part of existing line. Would be standard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
.
Literature
- Minko Monique. 1983. Les communications Terrestres. in Geographie et Cartographie du Gabon, Atlas Illustré led by The Ministère de l'Education Nationale de la Republique Gabonaise. Pg 86-87. Paris, France: Edicef