Rail transport in Senegal
| Rail transport in Senegal | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Trains at Dakar railway station, Senegal, in 1991 | |||||||
| Operation | |||||||
| Infrastructure company | Transrail | ||||||
| Major operators | Transrail | ||||||
| System length | |||||||
| Total | 906 km (563 mi) | ||||||
| Track gauge | |||||||
| Main | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) | ||||||
| |||||||
Senegal has 906 km of railway at 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. This is part of the Dakar–Niger Railway which crosses the border to Mali. The railway is operated by Transrail, managed by the Belgian company .[1]
History[]
Senegal was formerly part of the federation of French West Africa so the history of its railways is closely linked to that of its neighbours.
Dakar–Saint-Louis railway[]
This was the first railway line in French West Africa when it opened in 1885. It is now out of service.
Dakar–Niger Railway[]
Construction work on the Dakar–Niger Railway began at the end of the 19th century. The line was completed at the beginning of the 20th century.
Petit train de banlieue[]
The Petit train de banlieue (PTB) is a passenger train providing regular commuter services between Dakar railway station and Thiès, via Thiaroye and Rufisque. It was inaugurated in December 1987.
Train Express Regional[]
This line was in construction from 2016 and was inaugurated in 2019. It links Dakar with Blaise Diagne International Airport.
Developments since 2000[]
A gauge conversion from 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) was planned.[2] [3] [4]
In August 2006 RITES of India was to supply five metre-gauge locomotives, with vacuum brakes converted to air brakes.[citation needed]
In October 2007 70 air braked coaches were ordered from Rail Coach Factory in India.[5] A 750 kilometres (470 mi) rail line was planned to Faleme River region of South East Senegal for iron ore traffic.[6]
In 2010, the Faleme project has been delayed by disputes between the leaseholders.[citation needed] In the meantime, the Dakar-Port Sudan Railway project surfaced.
A goods railway was constructed from Thies to a mineral sand mine situated to the west. The track from Thies to Dakar was refurbished, and several trains a week now operate to Dakar port.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Cloutier, Myriam (20 May 2009). "The Little Engine That Couldn't". Alternatives. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ Senegal Railways "Senegal Railways" Check
|url=value (help). International Railway Journal. December 2000. Retrieved 5 November 2010. - ^ "Les Grands Projets". APIX. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
- ^ SGR
- ^ "RCF Rolls out 17 Meter Gauge Coaches to Senegal/Mali". Rail Coach Factory. Archived from Rail Coach Factory the original Check
|url=value (help) on 1 February 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2010. - ^ Steve McGrath and Jackie Range (23 February 2007). "Arcelor Mittal to develop Senegal iron-ore mine". Marketwatch. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
External links[]
- Rail transport in Senegal