The Mauritania Railway is the national railway of Mauritania. Construction of the line began in 1960, with it opening in 1963.[1][2] It consists of a single, 704-kilometre (437 mi) railway line linking the iron mining centre of Zouérat with the port of Nouadhibou, via Fderik and Choum. The state agency Société nationale industrielle et minière (SNIM) controls the railway line.
The line was a success and provided a major portion of Mauritania's GDP; as a result the line was nationalised in 1974.[3] Following Mauritania's annexation of southernWestern Sahara in 1976, the line came under constant attack by Polisario militia, effectively putting the line out of use and thereby crippling Mauritania's economy.[4] This played a major role in prompting the army to overthrow Mauritanian president Moktar Ould Daddah in 1978, followed by a withdrawal from Western Sahara the following year. With the line now secure, repairs were conducted and trains starting using it once again in the early 1980s.[5] This railway is unusual for its usage of the Soviet type coupler SA-3, which is quite rare in non ex-Soviet countries.[citation needed]
Trafficedit
Mauritania Railway train at the station in Nouadhibou
Trains on the railway are up to 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) in length,[6] making them among the longest and heaviest in the world. They consist of 3 or 4 diesel-electricEMDlocomotives, 200 to 210 cars each carrying up to 84 tons of iron ore, and 2-3 service cars. The total traffic averages 16.6 million tons per year.
Passengers are also occasionally transported by train; these services are managed by an SNIM subsidiary, the société d'Assainissement, de Travaux, de Transport et de Maintenance (abb. ATTM).[7] Passenger cars are sometimes attached to freight trains, but more often passengers simply ride atop the ore hopper cars freely. Passengers include locals, merchants, and occasionally some adventure tourists. Conditions for these passengers are incredibly harsh with daytime temperatures exceeding 40 °C and death from falls being common.[citation needed]
In January 2019, the railway resumed tourism after a ten-year hiatus; part of the track ran through a forbidden tourist area. One of the stops on the tourist route is an iron mine. The tourist route is typically operated by a locomotive carrying two passenger carriages.[8]
Locomotivesedit
In October 2010, SNIM ordered six EMD SD-70ACS locomotives, which featured a pulse filtration system, movable sand plows, EM2000 control system and FIRE display system together with similar modifications to allow for operations in high temperatures.[9]
Prior to this the railway had operated US-built EMD SDL40-2s, also with special modifications to deal with operating in dusty and high temperature environments, which themselves were the replacement for twenty-one MIFERNA Class CC locomotives which had been custom-made in France to operate in the same rough conditions.
Glencoreedit
In 2014, the mining company Glencore paid $1 billion for 18 years of access to SNIM's rail and port infrastructure, which would be connected to branch lines to new iron mines at Askaf and Guelb El Aouj. The deal would have saved the company the cost of constructing their own tracks and facilities.[10] However, Glencore backed out of the project just one year later after the price of iron ore tumbled nearly 40%.[11][12]
^"Mauritania, a Nation of Moorish Nomads, Suddenly Finds Herself in 20th Century". The New York Times. January 20, 1964. last June, the 20th century elbowed its way into this Biblical picture
^Pazzanita, Anthony G. (2008). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania. Scarecrow Press. pp. 424–25. ISBN9780810862654. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
^Pazzanita, Anthony G. (2008). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania. Scarecrow Press. pp. 424–25. ISBN9780810862654. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
^Pazzanita, Anthony G. (2008). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania. Scarecrow Press. pp. 424–25. ISBN9780810862654. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
^Pazzanita, Anthony G. (2008). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania. Scarecrow Press. pp. 424–25. ISBN9780810862654. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
^. Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière. Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2008.
^Ker, Peter (11 March 2015). "Glencore abandons Mauritania iron ore project after $US1bn investment". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
^"Iron Ore Price Outlook". FocusEconomics. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
Further readingedit
Robinson, Neil (2009). World Rail Atlas and Historical Summary. Volume 7: North, East and Central Africa. Barnsley, UK: World Rail Atlas Ltd. ISBN978-954-92184-3-5.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mauritania Railway.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Mauritania#Get around.
SNIM train site
Train images at Adventures in Mauritania
Map of railway route
This Sahara Railway Is One of the Most Extreme in the World (National Geographic's Short Film Showcase)
Hot, free and dangerous: A train ride in Mauritania (Washington Post)
Train to (almost) nowhere in Mauritania (New York Times)
Atop a long train in Africa, heading for change (Reuters)
The Mauritania Railway: Backbone of the Sahara, a short documentary film.
November 14, 2023
mauritania, railway, this, article, uses, bare, urls, which, uninformative, vulnerable, link, please, consider, converting, them, full, citations, ensure, article, remains, verifiable, maintains, consistent, citation, style, several, templates, tools, availabl. This article uses bare URLs which are uninformative and vulnerable to link rot Please consider converting them to full citations to ensure the article remains verifiable and maintains a consistent citation style Several templates and tools are available to assist in formatting such as reFill documentation and Citation bot documentation August 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Mauritania Railway is the national railway of Mauritania Construction of the line began in 1960 with it opening in 1963 1 2 It consists of a single 704 kilometre 437 mi railway line linking the iron mining centre of Zouerat with the port of Nouadhibou via Fderik and Choum The state agency Societe nationale industrielle et miniere SNIM controls the railway line Mauritania RailwayMap of Mauritania RailwayTechnicalLine length704 km 437 mi Track gauge1 435 mm 4 ft 8 1 2 in standard gaugeRoute map0 km Cansado0 km Nouadhibou96 km Boulenouar222 km Agueijit255 km Inal318 km Tmeimitschatt393 km Ben Amira460 km ChoumChoum Tunnel Disused Mauritania Western Sahara borderMauritania Western Sahara border485 km Char568 km Tuadschil625 km Fderick650 km Zouerat670 km Guelb El Rhein mine700 km M Haoudat mine735 km Storanville mineThis diagram viewtalkeditSince the closure of the Choum Tunnel a 5 km 3 1 mi section of the railway cuts through the Polisario Front controlled part of the Western Sahara 21 21 18 N 13 00 46 W 21 354867 N 13 012644 W 21 354867 13 012644 Contents 1 History 2 Traffic 3 Locomotives 4 Glencore 5 See also 6 References 6 1 Notes 6 2 Further reading 7 External linksHistory editMain article History of rail transport in Mauritania The line was a success and provided a major portion of Mauritania s GDP as a result the line was nationalised in 1974 3 Following Mauritania s annexation of southern Western Sahara in 1976 the line came under constant attack by Polisario militia effectively putting the line out of use and thereby crippling Mauritania s economy 4 This played a major role in prompting the army to overthrow Mauritanian president Moktar Ould Daddah in 1978 followed by a withdrawal from Western Sahara the following year With the line now secure repairs were conducted and trains starting using it once again in the early 1980s 5 This railway is unusual for its usage of the Soviet type coupler SA 3 which is quite rare in non ex Soviet countries citation needed Traffic edit nbsp Mauritania Railway train at the station in NouadhibouTrains on the railway are up to 3 kilometres 1 9 mi in length 6 making them among the longest and heaviest in the world They consist of 3 or 4 diesel electric EMD locomotives 200 to 210 cars each carrying up to 84 tons of iron ore and 2 3 service cars The total traffic averages 16 6 million tons per year Passengers are also occasionally transported by train these services are managed by an SNIM subsidiary the societe d Assainissement de Travaux de Transport et de Maintenance abb ATTM 7 Passenger cars are sometimes attached to freight trains but more often passengers simply ride atop the ore hopper cars freely Passengers include locals merchants and occasionally some adventure tourists Conditions for these passengers are incredibly harsh with daytime temperatures exceeding 40 C and death from falls being common citation needed In January 2019 the railway resumed tourism after a ten year hiatus part of the track ran through a forbidden tourist area One of the stops on the tourist route is an iron mine The tourist route is typically operated by a locomotive carrying two passenger carriages 8 Locomotives editIn October 2010 SNIM ordered six EMD SD 70ACS locomotives which featured a pulse filtration system movable sand plows EM2000 control system and FIRE display system together with similar modifications to allow for operations in high temperatures 9 Prior to this the railway had operated US built EMD SDL40 2s also with special modifications to deal with operating in dusty and high temperature environments which themselves were the replacement for twenty one MIFERNA Class CC locomotives which had been custom made in France to operate in the same rough conditions Glencore editIn 2014 the mining company Glencore paid 1 billion for 18 years of access to SNIM s rail and port infrastructure which would be connected to branch lines to new iron mines at Askaf and Guelb El Aouj The deal would have saved the company the cost of constructing their own tracks and facilities 10 However Glencore backed out of the project just one year later after the price of iron ore tumbled nearly 40 11 12 See also edit nbsp Trains portal nbsp Mauritania portalEconomy of Mauritania History of rail transport in Mauritania Transport in Mauritania Railway stations in Mauritania Enclave and exclave crossborder shortcut to avoid tunnelReferences editNotes edit Mauritania a Nation of Moorish Nomads Suddenly Finds Herself in 20th Century The New York Times January 20 1964 last June the 20th century elbowed its way into this Biblical picture Pazzanita Anthony G 2008 Historical Dictionary of Mauritania Scarecrow Press pp 424 25 ISBN 9780810862654 Retrieved 25 January 2020 Pazzanita Anthony G 2008 Historical Dictionary of Mauritania Scarecrow Press pp 424 25 ISBN 9780810862654 Retrieved 25 January 2020 Pazzanita Anthony G 2008 Historical Dictionary of Mauritania Scarecrow Press pp 424 25 ISBN 9780810862654 Retrieved 25 January 2020 Pazzanita Anthony G 2008 Historical Dictionary of Mauritania Scarecrow Press pp 424 25 ISBN 9780810862654 Retrieved 25 January 2020 The ore train Societe Nationale Industrielle et Miniere Archived from the original on September 19 2008 Retrieved December 17 2008 Presentation www attm mr 2012 02 28 Retrieved 2023 11 07 Desert train of Mauritania running again after 10 years www euronews com 18 January 2019 Retrieved 2019 01 18 Railway Gazette High temperature locomotives ordered from EMD Retrieved 2010 10 30 http www railpage com au f t11332401 htm registration required Ker Peter 11 March 2015 Glencore abandons Mauritania iron ore project after US1bn investment The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 20 December 2018 Iron Ore Price Outlook FocusEconomics 13 February 2016 Retrieved 2019 08 26 Further reading edit Robinson Neil 2009 World Rail Atlas and Historical Summary Volume 7 North East and Central Africa Barnsley UK World Rail Atlas Ltd ISBN 978 954 92184 3 5 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mauritania Railway nbsp Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Mauritania Get around SNIM train site Train images at Adventures in Mauritania Map of railway route This Sahara Railway Is One of the Most Extreme in the World National Geographic s Short Film Showcase Hot free and dangerous A train ride in Mauritania Washington Post The iron trains of Mauritania Al Jazeera Train to almost nowhere in Mauritania New York Times Atop a long train in Africa heading for change Reuters The Mauritania Railway Backbone of the Sahara a short documentary film Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mauritania Railway amp oldid 1184033372, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
