History of rail transport in Angola
Encyclopedia
The history of rail transport in Angola began during the nineteenth century, when Angola
was a colony
of Portugal
. It has involved the construction, operation and destruction of four separate, unconnected, coast-to-inland systems, in two different gauges. Operations on three of those systems have been largely restored; the other system has been closed.
–Viana
–Lucala
) was built and opened in the north of the colony, at the initiative of a private railway company. By 1909, that line had been extended eastwards to Malanje
as a state railway. Later, a branch line was built from Zenza do Hombe to Dondo
.
The second significant line, the Moçâmedes Railway
(Portugese: Linha de Moçâmedes) (later the "Namibe Railway") (Portugese: Caminho-de-ferro do Namibe), was built as a state railway, in gauge. The Moçâmedes Railway connected the port city of Moçâmedes (now Namibe
), in the south of the colony, with the inland town of Menongue
. In 1910, part of this line was opened. Other sections were later opened to Dongo and Cassinga
before the entire line was completed.
and Benguela
with Huambo
. This line, in central Angola, included an approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) long rack railway
portion, with gradients of up to six percent.
By 1929, the line had been extended to Dilolo
, now in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
, to enable the copper deposits in the Congolese province of Katanga to be transported to the Atlantic ports. Together with other railway lines, this extended line yielded an almost continuous railway route to Dar es Salaam
, in what was then Tanganyika
. Only two sections on the 4000 km (2,485.5 mi) route were required to be negotiated by ship. Later, it was possible to reach the Mozambican
port of Beira
by rail.
The Benguela Railway proved to be most important railway line in Angola.
with Gabela
. Porto Amboim is on the coast between Luanda and Lobito. The Porto Amboim–Gabela line was managed by the Luanda Railway. It was 130 km long and closed in 1975 .
Additionally, some branch lines were built, such as a gauge railway from Lubango
, on the Moçamedes Railway, to Chiange
. This branch line made Lubango one of Angola's few rail junctions
.
The Moçamedes to Huila Railway was built in 1905 and regauged to Cape gauge
in 1950 .
had already begun. The civil war lasted until 2002, and brought rail traffic in Angola almost to a standstill. As early as 1975, the Benguela Railway was no longer functional. Several lines, such as the Porto Amboim–Gabela line, were later closed down permanently.
In 2005, passenger traffic resumed on the Lobito
–Cubal
section of the Benguela Railway, and freight traffic was reinstated between Lobito and Huambo
. In 2007, commuter traffic began operating once again in Huambo.
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
was a colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. It has involved the construction, operation and destruction of four separate, unconnected, coast-to-inland systems, in two different gauges. Operations on three of those systems have been largely restored; the other system has been closed.
Beginnings
Plans to develop Angola by constructing railway lines existed from 1887. Two years later, the Luanda Railway (LuandaLuanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
–Viana
Viana, Angola
Viana is a suburb of Luanda, Angola, in Luanda Province. It is home to about 6,000 long-term refugees, primarily from Katanga Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Viana is about a 90 minute drive from downtown Luanda...
–Lucala
Lucala
Lucala is a town and municipality in Cuanza Norte Province in Angola....
) was built and opened in the north of the colony, at the initiative of a private railway company. By 1909, that line had been extended eastwards to Malanje
Malanje
Malanje is the capital city of Malanje Province in Angola with a population of approximately 222,000. Nearby is the spectacular Calandula waterfalls, 85 km from the city. These falls are 105 metres high and their great width makes them the main tourist attraction in the region. It is a...
as a state railway. Later, a branch line was built from Zenza do Hombe to Dondo
Dondo, Angola
Dondo is a town in northern Angola. It belongs to Cuanza Norte Province.- Namesakes :There are several towns with this name. This is the one which is a branch terminus on the northern Luanda Railways. The namesakes are in Huila Province, Uíge Province and Huambo Province.- Map :* - External links...
.
The second significant line, the Moçâmedes Railway
Moçâmedes Railway
The Moçâmedes Railway is a 907 km railway line in Angola, between Namibe and Menongue in Cuando Cubango province....
(Portugese: Linha de Moçâmedes) (later the "Namibe Railway") (Portugese: Caminho-de-ferro do Namibe), was built as a state railway, in gauge. The Moçâmedes Railway connected the port city of Moçâmedes (now Namibe
Namibe
Namibe is the capital city of Namibe Province in Angola. It is a coastal desert city located in southwestern Angola and was founded in 1840 by the Portuguese rulers of the territory. The city's current population is 132,900...
), in the south of the colony, with the inland town of Menongue
Menongue
Menongue is a town and municipality in Cuando Cubango Province in Angola.It is the terminus of the southern railway from Namibe.-History:Menongue, formerly Serpa Pinto, was originally named for Alexandre Alberto da Rocha de Serpa Pinto, a late 19th-century Portuguese explorer of the interior of...
. In 1910, part of this line was opened. Other sections were later opened to Dongo and Cassinga
Cassinga
Cassinga is a former town in the Huíla province of southern Angola.The transliteration Kassinga is also commonly used, with the "K" being a mutation of the original Portuguese name either by German miners, or by indigenous people in whose language the letter "K" is also common...
before the entire line was completed.
Benguela Railway
The Benguela Railway (Portugese: Caminho de Ferro de Benguela) was completed in 1912, to link the two port cities of LobitoLobito
Lobito is a town and municipality in Benguela Province in Angola.It dates from 1905 and owes its existence to the bay of the same name having been chosen as the sea terminus of the Benguela railway to the far interior, passing through Luau to Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The...
and Benguela
Benguela
Benguela is a city in western Angola, south of Luanda, and capital of Benguela Province. It lies on a bay of the same name, in 12° 33’ S., 13° 25’ E...
with Huambo
Huambo
Huambo, formerly Nova Lisboa , is the capital of Huambo province in Angola. The city is located about 220 km E from Benguela and 600 km SE from Luanda. The city's last known population count was 225,268...
. This line, in central Angola, included an approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) long rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
portion, with gradients of up to six percent.
By 1929, the line had been extended to Dilolo
Dilolo
Dilolo is a town and territory in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It lies within five miles of the eastern bank of the Kasai River, the DRC-Angolan border, and the Angolan town of Luau, at an altitude of 3510 ft . The town is served by Dilolo Airport.- External links :*...
, now in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, to enable the copper deposits in the Congolese province of Katanga to be transported to the Atlantic ports. Together with other railway lines, this extended line yielded an almost continuous railway route to Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
, in what was then Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
. Only two sections on the 4000 km (2,485.5 mi) route were required to be negotiated by ship. Later, it was possible to reach the Mozambican
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
port of Beira
Beira
Beira can refer to:*Beira , the mother to all the gods and goddesses in the Celtic mythology of Scotland*Beira, Azores, a small village on São Jorge Island....
by rail.
The Benguela Railway proved to be most important railway line in Angola.
Other colonial lines
A fourth railway line to connect the Angolan inland with a port was built in 1925 to serve coffee plantations on Amboim plateau, in gauge, and linked Porto AmboimPorto Amboim
Porto Amboim is a port town in Angola with a population of 65,000; it comprises an area of 4,638 km². It is connected by an isolated 123 km 610mm narrow gauge railway to Gabela, albeit closed in 1987 due to the civil war and to the abandonment of most coffee plantations, the biggest...
with Gabela
Gabela, Angola
Gabela is a town in the province of Cuanza Sul, Amboim municipal, Angola. Its area comprises 4,642 km² with a population of 126,000. It was founded as N'Guebela on September 28, 1907....
. Porto Amboim is on the coast between Luanda and Lobito. The Porto Amboim–Gabela line was managed by the Luanda Railway. It was 130 km long and closed in 1975 .
Additionally, some branch lines were built, such as a gauge railway from Lubango
Lubango
Lubango is the capital city of the Angolan province of Huíla. Its last known population was 100,757. Until 1975, the city's official name was Sá da Bandeira.-Portuguese rule:...
, on the Moçamedes Railway, to Chiange
Chiange
Chiange is a town and municipality in Huíla Province in Angola.It is terminus of a branch of the southern railway network, junctioning at Dongo....
. This branch line made Lubango one of Angola's few rail junctions
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
.
The Moçamedes to Huila Railway was built in 1905 and regauged to 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 :...
in 1950 .
Post independence
On 11 November 1975, Angola became independent. By then, the Angolan civil warAngolan Civil War
The Angolan Civil War was a major civil conflict in the Southern African state of Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with some interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. Prior to this, a decolonisation conflict had taken...
had already begun. The civil war lasted until 2002, and brought rail traffic in Angola almost to a standstill. As early as 1975, the Benguela Railway was no longer functional. Several lines, such as the Porto Amboim–Gabela line, were later closed down permanently.
In 2005, passenger traffic resumed on the Lobito
Lobito
Lobito is a town and municipality in Benguela Province in Angola.It dates from 1905 and owes its existence to the bay of the same name having been chosen as the sea terminus of the Benguela railway to the far interior, passing through Luau to Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The...
–Cubal
Cubal
Cubal is a town and municipality in Benguela Province in Angola.- External links :*...
section of the Benguela Railway, and freight traffic was reinstated between Lobito and Huambo
Huambo
Huambo, formerly Nova Lisboa , is the capital of Huambo province in Angola. The city is located about 220 km E from Benguela and 600 km SE from Luanda. The city's last known population count was 225,268...
. In 2007, commuter traffic began operating once again in Huambo.