West Africa Regional Rail Integration
Encyclopedia
The West Africa Regional Rail Integration is a proposal to connect up isolated railway networks in West Africa.
, Mali
to Mali's southeastern border with Côte d’Ivoire, as well as its associated costs, design and construction criteria, and implementation plan. The study will also include a technical assessment on the existing rail line between Dakar
, Senegal
and Bamako, which would be linked to the proposed rail line. The total cost of the proposed line is expected to exceed $1.9 billion.
The 15-month railway study USTDA contract was authorized to begin in October of 2010. ZETA-TECH of Cherry Hill NJ is undertaking the study with other companies assisting.
, Mali
, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso
, Benin
and Togo
are all metre gauge
. However Ghana
and Nigeria
are cape gauge
with possible conversion to standard gauge
. The choice of gauge for the new network is therefore is still being examined by multiple parties as of the summer of 2010.
Some studies calling for standard gauge go back to the year 2001.
Overview
In 2009, USTDA approved funding of $750,000 for a feasibility study grant to assist the Union Économique et Monétaire Ouest-Africaine (UEMOA), in determining the technical and economic viability of developing a rail line from BamakoBamako
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...
, 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...
to Mali's southeastern border with Côte d’Ivoire, as well as its associated costs, design and construction criteria, and implementation plan. The study will also include a technical assessment on the existing rail line between Dakar
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...
and Bamako, which would be linked to the proposed rail line. The total cost of the proposed line is expected to exceed $1.9 billion.
The 15-month railway study USTDA contract was authorized to begin in October of 2010. ZETA-TECH of Cherry Hill NJ is undertaking the study with other companies assisting.
Gauge
The railways in SenegalSenegal
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...
, 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...
, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
, Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
and Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
are all 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...
. However Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and 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...
are 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 :...
with possible 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...
. The choice of gauge for the new network is therefore is still being examined by multiple parties as of the summer of 2010.
Some studies calling for standard gauge go back to the year 2001.
See also
- 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...
- 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...
is an earlier and similar scheme. - Dakar-Niger RailwayDakar-Niger RailwayThe Dakar–Niger Railway connects Dakar, to Koulikoro, . It serves many cities in Senegal and Mali...
- Rail transport in Côte d'IvoireRail transport in Côte d'IvoireCôte d'Ivoire has 660 kilometres of railway . The track gauge is .In October 2010, the government announced plans to build a 737km line which would link the port of San Pedro to mines in the west of the country....
- Transport in Burkina FasoTransport in Burkina FasoThis article concerns the systems of transport in Burkina Faso, which primarily include road and rail infrastructure.- Railways :There are 622 kilometres of railway in Burkina Faso, of which 517 km run from Ouagadougou to Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire; and 105 km from Ouagadougou to Kaya. All...
- 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...