This Sahara Railway Is One of the Most Extreme in the World
The Mauritania Railway is the national railway of Mauritania. At more than 430 miles long, the Mauritania Railway has been transporting iron ore across the blistering heat of the Sahara Desert since 1963.
One of the longest and heaviest trains in the world, the 1.8-mile beast runs from the mining center of Zouerat to the port city of Nouadhibou on Africa’s Atlantic coast.
The railway had numerous positive aspects. It would provide a fast connection to Sudan and enable Sudan's resources to be within France's reach.
Additionally, the railway was supposed to transform the region and make it a leading producer in cotton and agricultural goods. The cattle population and rice production would increase dramatically and benefit society.
The train is the bedrock of the Mauritanian economy and a lifeline to the outside world for the people who live along its route.
The Mauritania Railway is the national railway of Mauritania. At more than 430 miles long, the Mauritania Railway has been transporting iron ore across the blistering heat of the Sahara Desert since 1963.
One of the longest and heaviest trains in the world, the 1.8-mile beast runs from the mining center of Zouerat to the port city of Nouadhibou on Africa’s Atlantic coast.
The railway had numerous positive aspects. It would provide a fast connection to Sudan and enable Sudan's resources to be within France's reach.
Additionally, the railway was supposed to transform the region and make it a leading producer in cotton and agricultural goods. The cattle population and rice production would increase dramatically and benefit society.
Hop on board the ‘Backbone of the Sahara’ with filmmaker Macgregor for an incredible journey through the stunning Western Saharan landscape.
The changed role of rail in Africa over
the last thirty years has seen it move from a situation
where many of the systems were carrying a high share of
their country's traffic to one in which their market
share has declined, their assets have steadily deteriorated,
their quality of service has reduced, and they are in many
instances only a minor contributor to solving the transport
problems of the continent. The first railways south of the
Sahara were built in South Africa in the 1860's and
1870's, with lines heading inland from the ports at
Cape Town and Durban.
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