Dakar-Niger Railway
Encyclopedia
The Dakar–Niger Railway connects Dakar
, (Senegal
) to Koulikoro
, (Mali
). It serves many cities in Senegal (including Thiès
) and Mali (including Kayes
, Kita
, Kati
, Bamako
). The line covers a course of 1,287 km of which 641 km lies in Mali.
The line is managed and operated by the Transrail consortium.
, commander of French Sudan
.
The railroad connected the Niger River
with the port of Dakar, allowing the transport of raw material
s across the globe. The line was completed at the beginning of the 20th century, the Kayes-Koulikoro section being inaugurated in 1904, but the final section of line did not open until 1924.
to obtain the same rights as the French railwaymen. The successful strike was celebrated as a turning point in the anti-colonial struggle by Senegalese writer Ousmane Sembène
in his 1960 novel Les bouts de bois de Dieu.
and Senegal, after the break-up of the Mali Federation
, control of the railroad was divided between two national organisations, the Régie des Chemin de fer du Mali (RCFM) and the Régie des Chemins de Fer du Sénégal.
An agreement between Senegal and Mali in 1962 determined the common exploitation of the line by the two railway companies.
and Goudiry in Tambacounda Region
, Senegal. Four carriages reportedly overturned, but no official cause has been determined.
-Canadian
management
consortium
which manages the interests of the Dakar–Niger Railway.
The difficulties of management and the lack of investment have led to a degradation of the infrastructure and rolling stock
and numerous delays. In Senegal the maximum speed of the trains has in many places been limited to 20 km/h due to the bad state of the tracks. In October 2003, Senegal and Mali entrusted the management of the network to the Transrail consortium.
In spite of Transrail's obligation to maintain a passenger service, Transrail intends to concentrate on the transport of goods
. Many stations have been closed and the numbers of connections reduced, creating difficulties for isolated communities. Currently there are no passenger trains running between Kayes and Thies.
Transrail was bought in 2007 by the Belgian
company Vecturis.
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, (Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
) to Koulikoro
Koulikoro
Koulikoro is a city in Mali. The capital of the Koulikoro Region, Koulikoro is located on banks of the Niger River, from Mali's capital Bamako....
, (Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
). It serves many cities in Senegal (including Thiès
Thiès
Thiès is the third largest city in Senegal with a population officially estimated at 320,000 in 2005. It lies 60 km east of Dakar on the N2 road and at the junction of railway lines to Dakar, Bamako and St-Louis...
) and Mali (including Kayes
Kayes
Kayes is a city in western Mali on the Sénégal River, with a population of roughly 100,000 people. Kayes is the capital of the administrative region of the same name. The name "Kayes" comes from the Soninké word "karré", which describes a low humid place that floods in rainy season...
, Kita
Kita, Mali
Kita is a town and commune in western Mali. It lies on the eastern slope of Mount Kita , known for its caves and rock paintings. Today, the city is known for its music, its annual Roman Catholic pilgrimage and its role as a processing center for the surrounding cotton- and peanut-growing region...
, Kati
Kati
Kati is a town made up of 37 communes in Mali's Koulikoro Region, about 15 km from Bamako, Mali's capital. It has a population of approximately 40,000 inhabitants.-Economy:...
, Bamako
Bamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
). The line covers a course of 1,287 km of which 641 km lies in Mali.
The line is managed and operated by the Transrail consortium.
Construction
Construction work on the Dakar–Niger Railway began at the end of the 19th century under the French general GallieniJoseph Gallieni
Joseph Simon Gallieni was a French soldier, most active as a military commander and administrator in the French colonies and finished his career during the First World War. He was made Marshal of France posthumously in 1921...
, commander of French Sudan
French Sudan
French Sudan was a colony in French West Africa that had two separate periods of existence, first from 1890 to 1899, then from 1920 to 1960, when the territory became the independent nation of Mali.-Colonial establishment:...
.
The railroad connected the Niger River
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
with the port of Dakar, allowing the transport of raw material
Raw material
A raw material or feedstock is the basic material from which a product is manufactured or made, frequently used with an extended meaning. For example, the term is used to denote material that came from nature and is in an unprocessed or minimally processed state. Latex, iron ore, logs, and crude...
s across the globe. The line was completed at the beginning of the 20th century, the Kayes-Koulikoro section being inaugurated in 1904, but the final section of line did not open until 1924.
1947 strike
In 1947, the railroad workers went on a several-month strikeStrike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
to obtain the same rights as the French railwaymen. The successful strike was celebrated as a turning point in the anti-colonial struggle by Senegalese writer Ousmane Sembène
Ousmane Sembène
Ousmane Sembène , often credited in the French style as Sembène Ousmane in articles and reference works, was a Senegalese film director, producer and writer...
in his 1960 novel Les bouts de bois de Dieu.
Post-independence operation
With the independence of MaliMali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
and Senegal, after the break-up of the Mali Federation
Mali Federation
The Mali Federation was a country in West Africa. It was formed by a union between Senegal and the Sudanese Republic...
, control of the railroad was divided between two national organisations, the Régie des Chemin de fer du Mali (RCFM) and the Régie des Chemins de Fer du Sénégal.
An agreement between Senegal and Mali in 1962 determined the common exploitation of the line by the two railway companies.
Accidents
An accident on 13 May 2009 killed five and injured thirty-seven when a Dakar bound train came off the tracks between BalaBala, Senegal
Bala is a town in Tambacounda Region, eastern Senegal. It has a station on the main line of Dakar-Niger Railway.- External links :*...
and Goudiry in Tambacounda Region
Tambacounda Region
Tambacounda, formerly known as Sénégal Orientale, is a region of Senegal. It used to be part of the Mali Empire before the borders were created to separate Mali from Senegal. Tambacounda is physically the largest of Senegal's 11 regions, but is sparsely populated and its economy lags behind the...
, Senegal. Four carriages reportedly overturned, but no official cause has been determined.
Transrail
The Transrail Consortium was a FrancoFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
which manages the interests of the Dakar–Niger Railway.
The difficulties of management and the lack of investment have led to a degradation of the infrastructure and rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
and numerous delays. In Senegal the maximum speed of the trains has in many places been limited to 20 km/h due to the bad state of the tracks. In October 2003, Senegal and Mali entrusted the management of the network to the Transrail consortium.
In spite of Transrail's obligation to maintain a passenger service, Transrail intends to concentrate on the transport of goods
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
. Many stations have been closed and the numbers of connections reduced, creating difficulties for isolated communities. Currently there are no passenger trains running between Kayes and Thies.
Transrail was bought in 2007 by the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
company Vecturis.
Statistics
"Tableau comparative des exportations par rail" No sources are given for any of this data, which shows the number of tons of different products exported in various years:| Product | 1924 | 1934 | 1952-3 | 1955-6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelled peanuts | - | 7,422 | 7,250 | - |
| Peanuts in shells | 4,125 | 1,990 | 55,000 | 147,900 |
| Gum arabic | 936 | 1,196 | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| Karité | 416 | 2690 | 9,750 | - |
| Animal skins | 787 | 841 | 10,000 | - |
| Cotton | - | 185 | - | 18,200 |
| Millet | 236 | - | - | 850,000 |
| Passengers | 3,574,000 |
|---|---|
| Freight (in tonnes) | 1,548,000 |
Technical
- GaugeRail gaugeTrack 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...
: - BrakesBrake (railway)Brakes are used on the cars of railway trains to enable deceleration, control acceleration or to keep them standing when parked. While the basic principle is familiar from road vehicle usage, operational features are more complex because of the need to control multiple linked carriages and to be...
: The railway uses vacuum brakes. - CouplersCoupling (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...
: Buffers and Chain, European. - see loco CC2286.
Branch lines
There are a number of branch lines including:- Saint-LouisSaint-Louis, SenegalSaint-Louis, or Ndar as it is called in Wolof, is the capital of Senegal's Saint-Louis Region. Located in the northwest of Senegal, near the mouth of the Senegal River, and 320 km north of Senegal's capital city Dakar, it has a population officially estimated at 176,000 in 2005. Saint-Louis...
- LinguèreLinguère- Transport :The town was the terminus of a branch railway. The Train Station is now in ruins and the tracks are non-existent as they have been ripped up and used by locals as part of fences.- Infrastructure :...
- KaolackKaolackKaolack is a town of 172,305 people on the north bank of the Saloum River and the N1 road in Senegal. It is the capital of the Kaolack Region, which borders The Gambia to the south. Kaolack is an important regional market town and is Senegal's main peanut trading and processing center...
- Mbaké
2007
- Arcelor-MittalArcelor-MittalArcelorMittal S.A. is a global steel company headquartered in Avenue de la Liberté, Luxembourg, Luxembourg. It is the largest steel producing company in the world and is the market leader in steel for use in automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging. It holds sizeable captive...
proposes a major rail development to carry 15-20MT/Year of iron ore from deposit in the southeast of the country.
See also
- Rail transport in MaliRail transport in MaliMali has only one railway, the Dakar-Niger Railway, which includes 729 kilometers in Mali and runs from the port of Koulikoro via Bamako to the border with Senegal and continues on to Dakar...
- Rail transport in SenegalRail transport in SenegalSenegal has 906 km of railway at 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 Vecturis.- History :...
- Railway stations in MaliRailway stations in Mali- Maps :* * * - Existing : Dakar, Senegal - port Tambacounda, Senegal * Goudiry Kidira, Senegal - Mali border.* Kayes, Mali * Bafoulabe - station is at Mahina* Diamou, Mali * Kita Mali...
- Railway stations in SenegalRailway stations in Senegal- Maps :* * - Existing :* Dakar - port and national capital * Hann - truncated terminus * Bargny proposed deepwater port.* Rufisque - cement works----* Kirène - cement works to be expanded in 2008...
- Transport in MaliTransport in MaliMali's transportation infrastructure is regarded as poor, even by regional standards, and deficiencies have limited economic growth and development. Nevertheless, improvements have been noted in the early 2000s...
- Transport in SenegalTransport in Senegal- Railways :total: 906 kmnarrow gauge: 906 km of gauge - Maps :* * - Ground transport :There were an estimated 4,271 km of paved roads and 10,305 km of unpaved roads as of 1996....
- West Africa Regional Rail IntegrationWest Africa Regional Rail IntegrationThe West Africa Regional Rail Integration is a proposal to connect up isolated railway networks in West Africa.-Overview:In 2009, USTDA approved funding of $750,000 for a feasibility study grant to assist the Union Économique et Monétaire Ouest-Africaine , in determining the technical and economic...
External links
- The Railway line of Dakar-Niger by Christian Derosier (French language)
- A slow train through Senegal. Gavin Kallmann, The Financial Times (London). January 17, 2009.
- Unido
- Information and travel advice from seat61.com
- A report on the situation of the line at the end of 2010 by Thomas Kautzor