User:Mackensen/Rail transport in Africa

Rail transport in Africa is inextricably tied to the history of the European colonization of that continent. Railroads were first introduced to Africa to aid in the extraction of raw materials and other economic activities; later they served as the tools of control and domination. Finally, in post-colonial Africa railroads remain an important part of an uncertain economic and political infrastructure.

History
Railways first came to the African continent in 1851, when work started in Egypt (then part of the Ottoman Empire) on a line to connect Alexandria and Cairo. The British railway innovator Robert Stephenson served as chief engineer, and the line opened in January of 1856. Trains running over the 210 km line covered the distance in a mere seven hours where steamers on the Nile took forty-two. The first railway line sub-Saharan Africa was built in the British-controlled Cape Colony (now South Africa). An act passed by the British Government called for a 54 mi railway to link the port city of Cape Town with Wellington in the interior. Although authorized by the government, the actual construction was carried out by a private company, Cape Town and Wellington Railway. Reflecting the influence of their British builders, both lines were constructed to the standard gauge of.

Infrastructure
Africa's railway network comprises 83681 km of varying gauges. Reflecting the continent's diverse political history and difficult terrain, there are at least eight different gauges of track in use, with standard gauge comprising only one-eighth of the total trackage. Most of it is worked by diesel locomotives and is not electrified.

Politics

 * Cross-border issues?
 * TANZAM?

Trackage by country
The table below shows the total trackage extant on the African continent, broken down by country and gauge. Tunisia's dual gauge is a combination of standard gauge and. Libya plans to build a standard gauge system comprising seven routes and totaling 2757 km in length. All distances given in kilometres.