African Union of Railways
Encyclopedia
The African Union of Railways in an organisation under the auspices of the new African Union
dealing with railways. It is similar to the International Union of Railways
(UIC).
's railways are disjointed, disconnected, and generally in a state of disrepair, and often do not serve their countries well. The AUR hopes to rectify things.
is too difficult and expensive due to the gauge muddle, but based on reports from the World Bank, does see the following gauges as preferred in the following regions:
Several railways such as Senegal, Guinea and Tanzania have talked about conversion to standard gauge
, though it remains to be seen if talk develops into action. Guinea built one new branch as standard gauge even though metre gauge
is needed to take the ore to the port. Nigeria
has built one short branch with dual gauge
sleepers
, and a network aiming to serve the port of Warri is also standard gauge. An extension from Tanzania into Rwanda
is proposed as standard gauge, though it starts at a station that is already a container
transhipment Dry port
. Mining railways that carry very large tonnages (>10MTPA) are generally standard gauge.
However, conspicuous by their absence, is the possibility of dual gauge
, Variable gauge axles
, Bogie exchange
, Piggy back operation and even triple gauge.
in use include:
The American AAR coupler is the most widely used of the modern types, and is usable with the heaviest trains
.
Whatever the advantages of the modern SA3 coupler, it is not as widely used as the AAR. It is not clear if the SA3 is suitable for the heaviest trains.
Match wagons can overcome incompatibilities at the price of extra weight. Similarly with coupling adaptors.
The type of coupling is less important when trains travel in fixed block loads.
Modern wagons are usually built with drawgear designed for easy conversion to some kind of centre coupling such as the AAR or SA3.
air brakes and vacuum brake
s (or no continuous brakes at all) are usually fitted. Dual brakes or piped only can overcome incompatibilities. Vacuum brakes are considered to be obsolete. Electronically controlled pneumatic brakes
(ECP) are starting to be fitted on heavy-duty trains for higher performance, and the two ECP systems are meant to be compatible. Air brakes are to be preferred to vacuum brakes because of their greater power.
, with some obsolete systems using the older 3kVDC. Dual voltage locomotives and electric multiple unit
s (EMUs) are proven technology.
s vary considerably, and through trains would be forced to use the most restrictive loading gauge along its route. The structure gauge
of tunnels and bridges needs to be about 1 m (3.28 ft) taller to allow for piggy back operation of trains of one gauge on the wagons of another gauge.
s vary considerable, depending on the strength of the track, especially the weight of the rails which are generally too light for modern traffic. A reasonable minimum rail weight is 40 kg/m.
Because of dangers imposed by wild animals such as lions, manual control of loops turnouts is not necessarily a good idea, and some degree of automation of these turnouts, and fencing, is desirable.
, due to tendency to pull wagons off the rails and derail them.
would be useful to reduce such problems.
Namibian railways has recently done more than talk about a link with 
Angola, but has built nearly 300 km of such a line as of 2007. Namibia has been using Tubular Modular Track which is not gauge convertible. Tubular Track is good for sandy terrain as found in deserts.
network in adjacent countries, especially those landlocked
countries with no railways at all. Nigeria has installed some dual-gauge concrete sleepers just in case.
to Central Africa, probably Nigeria, would also spur the growth of 1435 mm connections, which make use of continuous access to the Middle East, Europe, and even China in the foreseeable future.
to make use of proven off the shelf
technology. New such lines are looming in Cameroon, Senegal and Guinea. Gabon is already 1435 mm. The Transguinean Railways
is proposed to be standard gauge
. Some standard gauge lines in Liberia
are to be restored. A cape gauge
line in Sierra Leone
is to be converted to standard gauge
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
dealing with railways. It is similar to the International Union of Railways
International Union of Railways
The UIC , or International Union of Railways, is an international rail transport industry body.- Brief history :The railways of Europe originated as separate concerns. There were many border changes after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Colonial railways were the responsibility of the...
(UIC).
Overview
AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
's railways are disjointed, disconnected, and generally in a state of disrepair, and often do not serve their countries well. The AUR hopes to rectify things.
Gauge
The AUR sees that conversion to a common gaugeRail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
is too difficult and expensive due to the gauge muddle, but based on reports from the World Bank, does see the following gauges as preferred in the following regions:
- North -
- South -
- East - (but Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and isolated Ethiopia are ).
- West -
- Other
- Eritrea
- Algeria NG
- South Africa NG
- Scattered mining railways - plus Gabon.
Several railways such as Senegal, Guinea and Tanzania have talked about conversion to 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...
, though it remains to be seen if talk develops into action. Guinea built one new branch as standard gauge even though 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...
is needed to take the ore to the port. Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
has built one short branch with dual gauge
Dual gauge
A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...
sleepers
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
, and a network aiming to serve the port of Warri is also standard gauge. An extension from Tanzania into Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
is proposed as standard gauge, though it starts at a station that is already a container
Intermodal container
An intermodal container is a standardized reusable steel box used for the safe, efficient and secure storage and movement of materials and products within a global containerized intermodal freight transport system...
transhipment Dry port
Dry port
A dry port is an inland intermodal terminal directly connected by road or rail to a seaport and operating as a centre for the transshipment of sea cargo to inland destinations....
. Mining railways that carry very large tonnages (>10MTPA) are generally standard gauge.
However, conspicuous by their absence, is the possibility of dual gauge
Dual gauge
A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...
, Variable gauge axles
Variable gauge axles
A variable gauge system allows railway vehicles in a train to travel across a break of gauge caused by two railway networks with differing track gauges....
, Bogie exchange
Bogie exchange
Bogie exchange is a system for operating railway wagons on two or more gauges to overcome difference in the track gauge. To perform a bogie exchange, a car is converted from one gauge to another by removing the chassis containing the wheels and axles of the car, and installing a new chassis with...
, Piggy back operation and even triple gauge.
Couplings
CouplingsCoupling (railway)
A coupling is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in a train. The design of the coupler is standard, and is almost as important as the railway gauge, since flexibility and convenience are maximised if all rolling stock can be coupled together.The equipment that connects the couplings to the...
in use include:
- European style buffers and chains, the spacing and height of the buffers varying with the gauge;
- Meatchopper couplings of various kinds, which are low in strength and obsolete.
- AAR couplerCoupling (railway)A coupling is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in a train. The design of the coupler is standard, and is almost as important as the railway gauge, since flexibility and convenience are maximised if all rolling stock can be coupled together.The equipment that connects the couplings to the...
) - an automatic type used throughout the contiguous Southern African network. - SA3 couplerSA3 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...
- an automatic type. - There are a few other uncommon types, such as those used in BeninTransport in BeninThis article concerns modes of transport in Benin. Benin is a country in Africa, which possesses railway and road infrastructure, as well as two seaports. Benin currently does not have rail connections to other countries, but new proposals seek to change this....
.
The American AAR coupler is the most widely used of the modern types, and is usable with the heaviest trains
Heaviest trains
The heaviest trains in the world are freight trains hauling bulk commodities such as coal and iron ore. One might distinguish between regular operations, and occasional record breaking runs...
.
Whatever the advantages of the modern SA3 coupler, it is not as widely used as the AAR. It is not clear if the SA3 is suitable for the heaviest trains.
Match wagons can overcome incompatibilities at the price of extra weight. Similarly with coupling adaptors.
The type of coupling is less important when trains travel in fixed block loads.
Modern wagons are usually built with drawgear designed for easy conversion to some kind of centre coupling such as the AAR or SA3.
Brakes
WestinghouseWestinghouse Air Brake Company
The 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 brakes and vacuum brake
Vacuum brake
The vacuum brake is a braking system employed on trains and introduced in the mid-1860s. A variant, the automatic vacuum brake system, became almost universal in British train equipment and in those countries influenced by British practice. Vacuum brakes also enjoyed a brief period of adoption in...
s (or no continuous brakes at all) are usually fitted. Dual brakes or piped only can overcome incompatibilities. Vacuum brakes are considered to be obsolete. Electronically controlled pneumatic brakes
Electronically controlled pneumatic brakes
Electronically controlled pneumatic brakes are a type of modern railway braking system which offer improved performance compared to traditional pneumatic brakes.- Overview :...
(ECP) are starting to be fitted on heavy-duty trains for higher performance, and the two ECP systems are meant to be compatible. Air brakes are to be preferred to vacuum brakes because of their greater power.
Electrification
Most railways is Africa are diesel-operated, but electrification where it exists it mostly conforms to the modern standard of 25 kV AC25 kV AC
The 25 kV Alternating current railway electrification system is commonly used in railways worldwide, especially for high-speed rail.-Overview:This electrification system is ideal for railways that cover long distances and/or carry heavy traffic...
, with some obsolete systems using the older 3kVDC. Dual voltage locomotives and electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s (EMUs) are proven technology.
Loading gauge
Loading gaugeLoading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
s vary considerably, and through trains would be forced to use the most restrictive loading gauge along its route. The structure gauge
Structure gauge
The structure gauge, also called the minimum clearance outline, is the minimum height and width of tunnels and bridges as well as the minimum height and width of the doors that allow a rail siding access into a warehouse...
of tunnels and bridges needs to be about 1 m (3.28 ft) taller to allow for piggy back operation of trains of one gauge on the wagons of another gauge.
Axle loads
Axle loadAxle load
The axle load of a wheeled vehicle is the total weight felt by the roadway for all wheels connected to a given axle. Viewed another way, it is the fraction of total vehicle weight resting on a given axle...
s vary considerable, depending on the strength of the track, especially the weight of the rails which are generally too light for modern traffic. A reasonable minimum rail weight is 40 kg/m.
Train lengths and crossing loop lengths
Crossing loops should be as long as the longest likely train, considered globally.Because of dangers imposed by wild animals such as lions, manual control of loops turnouts is not necessarily a good idea, and some degree of automation of these turnouts, and fencing, is desirable.
Minimum radius
Limits speeds, although speeds are less important on minor branch lines. Minimum radius also affects heaviest trainsHeaviest trains
The heaviest trains in the world are freight trains hauling bulk commodities such as coal and iron ore. One might distinguish between regular operations, and occasional record breaking runs...
, due to tendency to pull wagons off the rails and derail them.
Language
Confusion and even accidents can occur if more than one language is used to operate a railway. A simplified language such as seaspeakSeaspeak
Seaspeak is a simplified form of English, designed to facilitate communication between ships whose captains' native tongues differ. It has now been formalised as Standard Marine Communication Phrases ....
would be useful to reduce such problems.
Namibia
Namibian railways has recently done more than talk about a link with Angola, but has built nearly 300 km of such a line as of 2007. Namibia has been using Tubular Modular Track which is not gauge convertible. Tubular Track is good for sandy terrain as found in deserts.Nigeria
These gauge plans may be upset by Nigeria's albeit glacial programme to convert its 1067 mm gauge lines to 1435 mm which would seed a standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
network in adjacent countries, especially those landlocked
Landlocked
A landlocked country is a country entirely enclosed by land, or whose only coastlines lie on closed seas. There are 48 landlocked countries in the world, including partially recognized states...
countries with no railways at all. Nigeria has installed some dual-gauge concrete sleepers just in case.
Libya
Libya started in 2007 building a completely new 1435 mm railway system, albeit slowly. A link across the SaharaSahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
to Central Africa, probably Nigeria, would also spur the growth of 1435 mm connections, which make use of continuous access to the Middle East, Europe, and even China in the foreseeable future.
Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda
Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda are odd men in the 1067 mm South & East zone as they use 1000 mm gauge.Iron ore railways
Heavy duty iron ore railways in Africa carry much more traffic than ordinary railways so they almost always adopt standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
to make use of proven off the shelf
Commercial off-the-shelf
In 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...
technology. New such lines are looming in Cameroon, Senegal and Guinea. Gabon is already 1435 mm. The Transguinean Railways
Transguinean Railways
The Transguinean Railways is a proposed set of heavy duty standard gauge railways in Guinea to support heavy duty haulage of primarily iron ore and bauxite.- Overview :...
is proposed 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...
. Some standard gauge lines in Liberia
Transport in Liberia
- Railways :Historically, three railways were built in Liberia to export ore from mines; they were damaged during civil war, and as of August 2010 only one had been brought back into service....
are to be restored. A cape gauge
Cape gauge
Cape gauge is a track gauge of between the inside of the rail heads and is classified as narrow gauge. It has installations of around .The gauge was first used by Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl and the first line was opened in 1862.- Nomenclature :...
line in Sierra Leone
Transport in Sierra Leone
There are a number of systems of transport in Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, which possess road, rail, air and water infrastructure, including a network of highways and several airports.- Railways :...
is to be converted to 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...
Conferences
- http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Conferences/Past/2006/April/SA/Apr10/Documents/AU-EXP-RT-3_I_-Rail%20Development.pdf - a conference held in BrazzavilleBrazzaville-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...
on 10-14 April 2006. - http://railwaysafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2005&Itemid=35 35th General Assembly.
- 2006
2007
- Railway Corridors in Continent to be Connected - The UAR is set to work out modalities on how to link all railway corridors in the continent.
Related organisations
- Northern Corridor Transit Coordination AuthorityNorthern Corridor Transit Coordination AuthorityThe Northern Corridor Transit Coordination Authority is an intergovenmental body in Central Africa tasked with the job of coordinating transport infrastructure improvements.One of its proposals is to build railways to landlocked Burundi and Rwanda....
- Southern African Railway Association
- United Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentUnited Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentThe United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....
(UNCTAD) http://r0.unctad.org/ttl/ppt-2004-11-24/tanzania.pdf - Southern African Railway AssociationSouthern African Railway AssociationThe Southern African Railway Association ' is a regional association of railways in the south of Africa, especially those using Cape gauge or . The association is a not for profit organisation and was formed in 1996....
- ECOWAS railECOWAS railOne of the goals of ECOWAS is the development of an integrated railway network.- Overview :Aims include:* extension of railway to countries lacking thereof* interconnect on previously separate railways...
Similar organisations
- Association of American RailroadsAssociation of American RailroadsThe Association of American Railroads is an industry trade group representing primarily the major freight railroads of North America . Amtrak and some regional commuter railroads are also members...
(AAR) - International Union of RailwaysInternational Union of RailwaysThe UIC , or International Union of Railways, is an international rail transport industry body.- Brief history :The railways of Europe originated as separate concerns. There were many border changes after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Colonial railways were the responsibility of the...
(UIC) - Arab Union of Railways or Arab Railway Union
See also
- Trans-Asian RailwayTrans-Asian RailwayThe Trans-Asian Railway is a project to create an integrated freight railway network across Europe and Asia. The TAR is a project of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific .- Overview :...
- AfricaRailAfricaRailAfricaRail is a project to link the railway systems of Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin and Togo. All these systems are .A future stage would link Mali, Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana which are of , , changing all to...
- East African Railway Master PlanEast African Railway Master PlanThe East African Railway Master Plan is a proposal for rejuvenating existing railways serving Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and extending them initially to Rwanda and Burundi and eventually to South Sudan, Ethiopia and beyond...
- North-South Corridor ProjectNorth-South Corridor ProjectThe North–South Corridor Project is a major proposal to upgrade and extend land transport links in Southern Africa.- Rail : TAZARA – rehabilitation Kapiri Mposhi – Chingola – rehabilitation Bulawayo – Victoria Falls – rehabilitation...