Transport in Gabon

Modes of transport in Gabon include rail, road, water, and air. The one rail link, the Trans-Gabon Railway, connects the port of Owendo with the inland town of Franceville. While most of the country is connected by roads, not all areas are accessible. Much of the road network remains unpaved, and it primarily revolves around seven "national routes" labeled N1 through N7. The largest seaports are Port-Gentil and the newer Owendo, and 1,600 km of inland waterways are navigable. There are three international airports, eight other paved airports, and over 40 with unpaved runways. Nearly 300 km of pipelines carry petroleum products, mainly crude oil.

Rail transport
Until the 1970s, Gabon had no permanent railroads, though temporary Decauville rail tracks were in use in the logging industry as early as 1913 (Gray and Ngolet, 1999, pp.102).

In 2003, the railway began the process of installing a satellite based telecommunications system. As of 2004, Gabon State Railways totalled 814 km of standard-gauge track.

total: 814 km (Gabon State Railways or OCTRA) standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)

Maps

 * UN Map - shows line to Franceville
 * UNHCR map - does not show line to Franceville
 * TravelPortal map - shows major rivers
 * UNJLC Rail map of Southern Africa - does not show line to Franceville

Cities served by rail

 * Existing
 * Libreville - capital
 * Owendo - port
 * Sahoué - port
 * Franceville - railhead
 * Ndjolé
 * Lopé
 * Booué - likely junction for branchline to Makokou
 * Lastoursville
 * Moanda
 * Ntoum - proposed junction for iron ore traffic to Santa Clara
 * Kango
 * Four-Place
 * Mounana - ?


 * Proposed
 * Makokou - iron ore
 * Cape Santa Clara - proposed deep water port for Makokou iron ore.
 * Bélinga - possible iron ore mine.

2006

 * China signs a deal for an iron ore mine with associated rail and port upgrades from Belinga to Santa Clara

2007

 * New rail line from Belinga will go 450 km all the way to the coast, rather than to be a branch off an existing line.
 * Pan-African issues

Road transport
total: 7,670 km

paved: 629 km (including 30 km of expressways)

unpaved: 7,041 km (1996 est.)

Roads in Gabon link most areas of the country, and many of the main roads are of a reasonable standard. However, remoter areas along the coast and in the east are often not connected to the road network. Major roads are denoted national routes and numbered, with a prefix "N" (sometimes "RN"):


 * N1 road: Libreville – Kougouleu – Bifoun – Lambaréné – Mouila – Ndendé – Tchibanga - (Republic of Congo)
 * N2 road: Bifoun – Alembe – Viate – Mitzic – Bibasse – Oyem – Bitam – Éboro – (Cameroon)
 * N3 road: Alembe – Kazamabika – Lastoursville – Moanda – Franceville
 * N4 road: Viate – Ekonlong – Makokou – Mékambo
 * N5 road: Kougouleu – Bibasse
 * N6 road: Mayumba – Tchibanga – Ndendé – Lébamba - Koulamoutou – Lastoursville
 * N7 road: Makokou – Bakwaka – Okondja – Lékori - Akiéni – Ngouoni – Franceville

Merchant marine
As of 2002, there was one merchant marine vessel, with a gross tonnage of 2,419/.

Waterways
Gabon has 1,600 km of perennially navigable waterways, including 310 km on the Ogooué River.

Air transport
There are three international airports: Libreville, Port-Gentil, and Franceville.

Airports - with paved runways
total: 11

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 8

914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 45

1,524 to 2,437 m: 9

914 to 1,523 m: 16

under 914 m: 25 (1999 est.)

Pipelines
Crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km