Rail transport in Angola
Encyclopedia
Rail transport in Angola. There are three separate unconnected lines - the Luanda Railway (northern), the Benguela Railway (central) and the Moçâmedes Railway
(southern) A fourth system once linked Gunza and Gabala
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See also: History of rail transport in Angola
, particularly the Benguela railway. A $4b project was proposed to restore the lines, and even to extend the system. It was reported in January 2008 that the repair of the Northern Line (a.k.a. Luanda Railway), started in October 2003 would be completed by August 2008. However, it was not until July 2010 that freight services began on part of the line, and passenger services have been delayed until December 2010.
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Moçâmedes Railway
The Moçâmedes Railway is a 907 km railway line in Angola, between Namibe and Menongue in Cuando Cubango province....
(southern) A fourth system once linked Gunza and Gabala
Gabala (Angola)
Gabala is a town in Angola.Gabala has a mine which was connected by a 610mm narrow gauge railway to a port at Gunza.- External links :*...
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See also: History of rail transport in Angola
History of rail transport in Angola
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...
Statistics
- total: 2,761 km
- narrow gauge: mainly 2,638 km of (Cape gaugeCape gaugeCape 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 :...
) - there is also 123 km of 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...
(2002)
War damage
Railways in Angola suffered a lot of damage during 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...
, particularly the Benguela railway. A $4b project was proposed to restore the lines, and even to extend the system. It was reported in January 2008 that the repair of the Northern Line (a.k.a. Luanda Railway), started in October 2003 would be completed by August 2008. However, it was not until July 2010 that freight services began on part of the line, and passenger services have been delayed until December 2010.
Links with neighbouring countries
There are currently no rail links with neighbouring countries. However, a link to Namibia is partly under construction. In October 2010, Caminhos de ferro de Luanda announced plans to reopen rail links with the Democratic Republic of Congo and with ZambiaZambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
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Maps
2007
- 26 October 2007 - talks between Angola and Namibia regarding the link between Namibia and ChamuteteChamuteteChamutete is a town in southern Angola. Chamutete is also spelled Techamutete. It lies in Huíla Province.- Transport :It is currently terminus for a branch railway from Dongo on the Southern Railway system. In 2007, talks between Angola and Namibia were considering the interlinking of their...
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Specifications
- Brakes: Air - twin pipe for passenger cars
- 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...
: Alliance with 10A contour
See Also
- History of rail transport in AngolaHistory of rail transport in AngolaThe 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...
- Transport in AngolaTransport in Angola- Railways :There are three separate railway lines in Angola:* Luanda Railway * Benguela Railway * Moçâmedes Railway - Highways :* total: 52,429 km* paved: 5,349 km* unpaved: 46,080 km...
- Angolan Civil WarAngolan Civil WarThe 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...
- Luanda Railway
- Benguela railway
- Moçâmedes RailwayMoçâmedes RailwayThe Moçâmedes Railway is a 907 km railway line in Angola, between Namibe and Menongue in Cuando Cubango province....