Rail transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Encyclopedia
is provided by the Congo Railroad Company
Congo Railroad Company
The Congo Railway Company or the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer du Congo is the national railway company for the inland railways of the DR Congo. Because of a civil war, the railway was not functioning from 1998 until June 29, 2004...
(Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer du Congo) and the Office National des Transports (Congo)
Office National des Transports (Congo)
The Office National des Transports is a publicly owned company, based in Kinshasa, which operates railways, ports and river transport in the north and west of the Democratic Republic of Congo.- History :...
(Office National des Transports, ONATRA) and the Office of the Uele Railways (Office des Chemins de fer des Ueles, CFU).
The national system is mostly operated by the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer du Congo (SNCC). Not all rail lines link up, but are generally connected by river transport. The rail systems are listed below.
Routes
- Matadi-Kinshasa RailwayMatadi-Kinshasa RailwayThe Matadi-Kinshasa Railway is a railway line in Bas-Congo Province between the port of Matadi and Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo.The Matadi-Kinshasa Railway was built from 1890 to 1898...
: From MatadiMatadiMatadi is the chief sea port of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the capital of the Bas-Congo province. It has a population of 245,862 . Matadi is situated on the left bank of the Congo River from the mouth and below the last navigable point before rapids make the river impassable for a...
Harbour to KinshasaKinshasaKinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
via Songolo, Kimpese, Mbanza-Ngungu and Kasangulu, operated by ONATRAOffice National des Transports (Congo)The Office National des Transports is a publicly owned company, based in Kinshasa, which operates railways, ports and river transport in the north and west of the Democratic Republic of Congo.- History :...
, gauge, originally constructed as gauge; three trains a week. This line is a bypass of the Livingstone FallsLivingstone FallsLivingstone Falls — named for the explorer David Livingstone — are a succession of enormous rapids on the lower course of the Congo River in west equatorial Africa, downstream from Malebo Pool in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.-Description:Livingstone Falls consist of a series of rapids...
on the Congo River, known as a portage railwayPortage railwayA portage railway is a short and possibly isolated section of railway used to bypass a section of unnavigable river or between two water bodies which are not directly connected...
. Upstream from the Kinshasa river port, water transport reaches about two-thirds of the country. The line lost traffic to road transport when the Matadi-Kinshasa road was re-established in 2000, and it is now planned to revitalise it with Chinese help. An agreement was signed in July 2006 between ONATRA and a Chinese company (CMIC) which will renovate the track, trains, telecommunications, signal system and electric supply. - Vicicongo line: BumbaBumba, Democratic Republic of the CongoBumba is a town and river port in Mongala District, in the northern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying on the River Congo. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 107,626.- Transport :...
(Congo river port) - Aketi - Buta - Likati - IsiroIsiroIsiro is the capital of Haut-Uele District in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It lies between the equatorial forest and the savannah and its main resource is coffee. Isiro's population is estimated at approximately 150,000...
- Mungbere, with branch lines to Bondo and Titule; narrow gauge. The line was opened by Chemins de Fer Vicicongo in 1923 and is 1235km (741mi) long . This system is not operational, and was described by UNJLC in 2006 as 'very degraded'. A few trains ran in 2002/3. Bumba-Aketi was reopened in October 2004 after 14 years non operating. Up to 2008, Radio Okapi mentioned from time to time some trains in the Eastern parts. The line is not mentioned in the UNJLC description of the network. That and its very narrow gauge suggest it may be abandoned. This line and the Bumba river port belong to the Office of the Uele Railways. - Great lakes line first section: KisanganiKisanganiKisangani is the capital of Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the 3rd largest urbanized city in the country and the largest of the cities that lie in the tropical woodlands of the Congo....
(Congo River port) to UbunduUbunduUbundu, formerly known as Ponthierville or Ponthierstad, is a city located in Tshopo District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is on the Congo River, just above the Boyoma Falls...
(upper Congo River port), . This line is a bypass (portage railway) of the Stanley Falls on the Congo River. A train runs after arrival at Kisangani of a ship from Kinshasa or before departure of a ship to Kinshasa, which may happen about every 2 to 3 month, no fixed schedule. There is no connecting boat service between Ubundu and KinduKinduKindu is a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the capital of Maniema province. It has a population of about 200,000 and is situated on the Congo River at an altitude of about 500 metres, and is about 400 km west of Bukavu....
on the Lualaba RiverLualaba RiverThe Lualaba River is the greatest headstream of the Congo River by volume of water. However, by length the Chambeshi River is the farthest headstream. The Lualaba is 1800 km long, running from near Musofi in the vicinity of Lubumbashi in Katanga Province. The whole of its length lies within the...
(the upper Congo). - Great lakes line second section: KinduKinduKindu is a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the capital of Maniema province. It has a population of about 200,000 and is situated on the Congo River at an altitude of about 500 metres, and is about 400 km west of Bukavu....
(Lualaba River port) - Kibombo – KongoloKongoloKongolo is a town in Tanganyika District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.It is located on the west bank of the Lualaba River, the largest headstream of the Congo River. It has 62 455 inhabitants.- Transport :...
– KabaloKabaloKabalo is one of a number of towns in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with this name. This one is in the east, in Tanganyika District.- Transport :Kabalo is the junction of railway lines to the north and to Lake Tanganyika in the east....
(Lualaba River port and junction with Katanga line) - Nyunzu – Niemba – KalemieKalemieKalemie, formerly Albertville/Albertstad, is a town on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The town is next to the exit of the Lukuga River flowing out from Lake Tanganyika to the Lualaba River....
(the port on Lake Tanganika), . This line was gauge like the first section until 1955, when the gauge was changed for the connection with the Katanga line in 1956. Just north of Kongolo, the Lualaba is unnavigable due to the rapids named Portes D'Enfer ('Gates of Hell'). The track between Kalemie and Niemba is described by UNJLC in 2006 as 'very degraded' and may not be operational. Boats to Moba and Kalundu-UviraUviraUvira is a city in Sud-Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, located at the extreme north end of Lake Tanganyika. There is a lake port called Kalundu at the southern end of the town, which provides links by boat to Kalemie, Kigoma in Tanzania, and Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi.The town...
on Lake Tanganyika used to connect with trains at Kalemie. In 1917 a train ferryTrain ferryA train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
was introduced on the lake operating from Kalemie, but is long gone. - Katanga line: Kabalo (Lualaba River port and junction with Great Lakes line) – Kamungu - Katumba – KabongoKabongoKabongo may refer to:* Eugène Kabongo , a former Congolese soccer player* Patrick Kabongo , an offensive lineman for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League...
(or a town 8 km south-east) – KaminaKaminaKamina is a city in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located at around . It is the provincial capital.- Transport :...
(junction with Kasia line) - Bukama (Lualaba River port) – Tenke (junction with Benguela Railway)- LikasiLikasiLikasi, formerly known as Jadotville or Jadotstad, is a city in Haut-Katanga Province, in the south-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.-Demographics:Likasi has a population of around 367,000...
– LubumbashiLubumbashiLubumbashi is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, second only to the nation's capital Kinshasa, and the hub of the southeastern part of the country. The copper-mining city serves as the capital of the relatively prosperous Katanga Province, lying near the Zambian border...
- SakaniaSakaniaSakania is a town in Haut-Katanga District, in the far south of the Democratic Republic of Congo, near the border with Zambia.It is located at an elevation of 1278m asl ,therefore it has a cool climate....
- ZambiaZambiaZambia , 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....
, . There are a number of short branch lines in the mining areas between Tenke and Kolwezi. The section from near Kabongo to Kamina was described by UNJLC in 2006 as 'very degraded'. - Kasai line: IleboIleboIlebo, formerly known as Port-Francqui, is a town in Kasaï District in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying at the highest navigable point of the Kasaï River. As such, it is an important transport hub for ferries to Kinshasa and trains to Lubumbashi....
(Kasai River port) – KanangaKanangaKananga, formerly known as Luluabourg or Luluaburg, is the capital of Lulua District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has a population of 1,130,100 ....
– Mwene Ditu – Kaniama - Kamina (junction with Katanga line), . This connects the Katanga line to the river port at Ilebo from where boats can reach Kinshasa. Freight is transferred to river barges, but in 2006 UNJLC reports the river service operates sporadically. On 1 August 2007 a passenger train rain out of control on the line 170 km north-west of Kananga and 7 coaches overturned, killing about 100 people. - Katanga-Benguela line: A branch of the Katanga Railway was built from Tenke junction just north-west of Likasi via KolweziKolweziKolwezi is a city in Katanga Province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Likasi. It is home to an airport and a railway to Lubumbashi. The population is approximately 418,000....
to DiloloDiloloDilolo 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 :*...
at the AngolaAngolaAngola, 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...
n border to connect with the Benguela Railway from Luau to the Atlantic port of LobitoLobitoLobito 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...
. This allowed through passenger trains to run between Lubumbashi and Lobito, and freight trains to carry copper from the Zambian and Katangan Copperbelts to a seaport for the export of copperCopperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
. It was this purpose which provided the investment for the Benguela Railway. Unfortunately it has not operated through Angola since the 1970s, due to the civil war there. Currently the line between Kolwezi and Dilolo is described by UNJLC in 2006 as 'very degraded'.
The following lines have been completely removed and are not listed for future rehabilitation:
- Mayumbe line: BomaBomaThe port town of Boma in Bas-Congo province was the capital city of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo from 1 May 1886 to 1926, when it was moved to Léopoldville . It exports tropical timber, bananas, cacao, and palm products...
to TshelaTshelaTshela is the main town of Bas-fleuve district, in Bas-Congo Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo . It was the birthplace of Joseph Kasa-Vubu, the first president of the Republic of Congo, after independence from Belgium, in 1960. The town was linked to the port of Boma, Congo by an...
, 1889–1984, gauge, 137km long and opened in stages from 1901 to 1913 . removed in 1984. - Kivu Railway: Kalundu-UviraUviraUvira is a city in Sud-Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, located at the extreme north end of Lake Tanganyika. There is a lake port called Kalundu at the southern end of the town, which provides links by boat to Kalemie, Kigoma in Tanzania, and Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi.The town...
-Kamaniola (- Bukavu), 1931–1958, .
Track totals
4772 km (2002), 5138 km (1995);narrow gauge:
- 3621 km gauge (858 km electrified); (2002)
- 125 km gauge; (2002) ev. transformed to 1067 mm (3½ ft) gauge in 1955
- 1026 km gauge (2002);
- 3987 km gauge (858 km electrified); (1996)
Railway links to adjacent countries
There is only one currently functioning international link: ZambiaRail transport in Zambia
Rail transport in Zambia is primarily provided by two companies:* TAZARA Railway* Zambia Railways Limited-Railway links with adjacent countries: DR Congo - yes, Ndola to Sakania then Lubumbashi - , freight only. . The current operating status of Chililabombwe-DR Congo link not known...
- yes - same gauge - , connects with railways of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, Mozambique
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...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
This link is not operating: Angola
Rail transport in Angola
Rail transport in Angola. There are three separate unconnected lines - the Luanda Railway , the Benguela Railway and the Moçâmedes Railway A fourth system once linked Gunza and Gabala....
- yes - same gauge - , but link to the port of 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...
has been unusable since the 1970s.
There are boat links to rail lines in these neighbouring countries: Republic of Congo
Rail transport in the Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo has 795 kilometres of railway track which includes 285 km of private track . The track gauge is . The Congo-Ocean Railway connects Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.- Railway links to adjacent countries :...
- no direct link, but ordinary ferries across the Congo River from Kinshasa to Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-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...
can take passengers and freight to the Congo-Ocean Railway
Congo-Ocean Railway
The Congo–Ocean Railway links the Atlantic port of Pointe-Noire with Brazzaville, a distance of 502 kilometres...
(same gauge ) which runs from Brazzaville to the Atlantic port of Pointe Noire. Tanzania
Rail transport in Tanzania
Rail transport in Tanzania is conducted by two companies:* Tanzania Railways Corporation* TAZARA- Railway links with adjacent countries : Burundi - no - proposed DR Congo - decades ago there was a train ferry between Kigoma and Kalemie, in 2007 there are no ferry links and the DR Congo line to...
- no direct link but boats take freight between Kalemie and Kigoma
Kigoma
Kigoma is a town and lake port in western Tanzania, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika and close to the border with Burundi. It serves as the capital for the surrounding Kigoma Region and has a population of 135,234 and an elevation of 775 m.The historic trading town of Ujiji is 6 km...
, from where Tanzania's Central Line runs to the seaport of 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: ...
; there once was a train ferry from Kalemie built in 1917; break of gauge /.
These neighbouring countries have rail systems, but there are no links from the Congo: Sudan
Rail transport in Sudan
Sudan has 4,725 kilometers of narrow-gauge, single-track railroads that serve the northern and central portions of the country. The main line runs from Wadi Halfa on the Egyptian border to Khartoum and southwest to Al Ubayyid via Sannar and Kusti, with extensions to Nyala in Southern Darfur and Wau...
- no - same gauge Uganda - no - break of gauge /.
These neighbouring countries have no rail systems:
Central African Republic, 
RwandaRail transport in Rwanda
There are currently no railway lines in Rwanda, although various plans to construct railways have been proposed, including a proposed line to Tanzania.- Burundi / Rwanda rail plans of 2000 :...
and
Burundi.
Proposed rail projects
- In September 2007 it was reported that China would provide US$5 billion for new infrastructure projects including rehabilitation and construction of new sections to link SakaniaSakaniaSakania is a town in Haut-Katanga District, in the far south of the Democratic Republic of Congo, near the border with Zambia.It is located at an elevation of 1278m asl ,therefore it has a cool climate....
and LubumbashiLubumbashiLubumbashi is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, second only to the nation's capital Kinshasa, and the hub of the southeastern part of the country. The copper-mining city serves as the capital of the relatively prosperous Katanga Province, lying near the Zambian border...
to MatadiMatadiMatadi is the chief sea port of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the capital of the Bas-Congo province. It has a population of 245,862 . Matadi is situated on the left bank of the Congo River from the mouth and below the last navigable point before rapids make the river impassable for a...
(3200 km), to be completed in 3 years. - A line from Uganda to KaseseKaseseKasese is a town in Western Uganda, lying north of Lake George. It originally grew around the copper mine at Kilembe, while attention later turned to cobalt mining. It is the 'chief town' of Kasese District and the district headquarters are located there...
was proposed in 2005.
Locomotives
On 3 November 2008, four diesel-electric locomotives were supplied to the DRC from ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. These are 1,800hp Co-Co locomotives, model CKD7C, built by the China Northern Rail Corporation Limited (CNR).
Maps
See also
- Transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo