Mauritania Railway: Difference between revisions

Mauritania Railway
Mauritania Railway
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Line length	704 km (437 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
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The Mauritania Railway is the national railway of Mauritania. Construction of the line began in 1960, with its opening in 1963.^[1]^[2] It consists of a single, 704-kilometre (437 mi) railway line linking the iron mining center of Zouérat with the port of Nouadhibou, via Fderik and Choum. The state agency Société nationale industrielle et minière (SNIM) controls the railway line.

Since 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).

History

The line was a success and provided a major portion of Mauritania's GDP; as a result, the line was nationalized in 1974.^[2] 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.^[2] 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.^[2] 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

Trains on the railway are up to 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) in length,^[3] making them among the longest and heaviest in the world. They consist of 2 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 société d'Assainissement, de Travaux, de Transport et de Maintenance (abb. ATTM).^[4] 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, night-time temperatures approaching freezing, 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.^[5]

Locomotives

In October 2010, SNIM ordered six EMD SD70ACS 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.^[6]

Prior to this the railway had operated US-built EMD SDL40-2 locomotives, 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

In 2014, mining giant Glencore acquired 18 years of access to SNIM's rail and port infrastructure for $1 billion, intending to link it to branch lines for new iron mines at Askaf and Guelb El Aouj. This arrangement aimed to save costs by avoiding the construction of separate tracks and facilities.^[7] Glencore withdrew from the project merely a year later, following a nearly 40% drop in the price of iron ore.^[8]^[9]

References

Notes

^ "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
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Pazzanita, Anthony G. (2008). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania. Scarecrow Press. pp. 424–25. ISBN 9780810862654. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
^ "The ore train". Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière. Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2008.
^ "Présentation". 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 ^{[dead link‍]}(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.

External links

[1] "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

[auto-2] Pazzanita, Anthony G. (2008). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania. Scarecrow Press. pp. 424–25. ISBN 9780810862654. Retrieved 25 January 2020.

[3] "The ore train". Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière. Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2008.

[4] "Présentation". www.attm.mr. 2012-02-28. Retrieved 2023-11-07.

[5] "Desert train of Mauritania running again after 10 years". www.euronews.com. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-01-18.

[6] "Railway Gazette: High temperature locomotives ordered from EMD". Retrieved 2010-10-30.

[7] ttp://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11332401.htm ^{[dead link‍]}(registration required)

[8] Ker, Peter (11 March 2015). "Glencore abandons Mauritania iron ore project after $US1bn investment". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 December 2018.

[9] "Iron Ore Price Outlook". FocusEconomics. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 2019-08-26.

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-The '''Mauritania Railway''' is the national railway of [[Mauritania]]. Construction of the line began in 1960, with it opening in 1963.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mauritania, a Nation of Moorish Nomads, Suddenly Finds Herself in 20th Century|work=The New York Times|date=January 20, 1964|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/01/20/archives/mauritania-a-nation-of-moorish-nomads-suddenly-finds-herself-in.html|quote=last June, the 20th century elbowed its way into this Biblical picture}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-KU_9MfXKKYC&q=Horma+Babana&pg=PA255|title=Historical Dictionary of Mauritania|last=Pazzanita|first=Anthony G.|date=2008|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780810862654|pages=424–25|language=en|access-date=25 January 2020}}</ref> It consists of a single, {{convert|704|km|adj=on}} [[railway]] line linking the [[iron ore|iron]] mining centre of [[Zouerate]] with the port of [[Nouadhibou]], via [[Fderik]] and [[Choum]]. The state agency ''Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière'' (National Mining and Industrial Company, SNIM) controls the railway line.
+The '''Mauritania Railway''' is the national railway of [[Mauritania]]. Construction of the line began in 1960, with its opening in 1963.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mauritania, a Nation of Moorish Nomads, Suddenly Finds Herself in 20th Century|work=The New York Times|date=January 20, 1964|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/01/20/archives/mauritania-a-nation-of-moorish-nomads-suddenly-finds-herself-in.html|quote=last June, the 20th century elbowed its way into this Biblical picture}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-KU_9MfXKKYC&q=Horma+Babana&pg=PA255|title=Historical Dictionary of Mauritania|last=Pazzanita|first=Anthony G.|date=2008|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780810862654|pages=424–25|language=en|access-date=25 January 2020}}</ref> It consists of a single, {{convert|704|km|adj=on}} [[Rail transport|railway]] line linking the [[iron ore|iron]] mining center of [[Zouérat]] with the port of [[Nouadhibou]], via [[Fderîck|Fderik]] and [[Choum]]. The state agency [[:fr:Société nationale industrielle et minière|Société nationale industrielle et minière]] (SNIM) controls the railway line.
-Since the closure of the [[Choum Tunnel]], a {{convert|5|km|abbr=on}} section of the railway cuts through the [[Polisario Front]]-[[Free Zone (region)|controlled part]] of the [[Western Sahara]] ({{coord|21.354867|N|13.012644|W}}).
+Since the closure of the [[Choum|Choum Tunnel]], a {{convert|5|km|abbr=on}} section of the railway cuts through the [[Polisario Front]]-[[Free Zone (region)|controlled part]] of the [[Western Sahara]] ({{coord|21.354867|N|13.012644|W}}).
 ==History==
 {{main|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.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-KU_9MfXKKYC&q=Horma+Babana&pg=PA255|title=Historical Dictionary of Mauritania|last=Pazzanita|first=Anthony G.|date=2008|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780810862654|pages=424–25|language=en|access-date=25 January 2020}}</ref> Following Mauritania's annexation of [[Tiris al-Gharbiya|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.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-KU_9MfXKKYC&q=Horma+Babana&pg=PA255|title=Historical Dictionary of Mauritania|last=Pazzanita|first=Anthony G.|date=2008|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780810862654|pages=424–25|language=en|access-date=25 January 2020}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-KU_9MfXKKYC&q=Horma+Babana&pg=PA255|title=Historical Dictionary of Mauritania|last=Pazzanita|first=Anthony G.|date=2008|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780810862654|pages=424–25|language=en|access-date=25 January 2020}}</ref> This railway is unusual for its usage of the Soviet type [[SA3_coupler|coupler SA-3]], which is quite rare in non ex-Soviet countries.{{cn|date=February 2020}}
+The line was a success and provided a major portion of Mauritania's GDP; as a result, the line was nationalized in 1974.<ref name="auto"/> Following Mauritania's annexation of [[Tiris al-Gharbiyya|southern]] [[Western Sahara]] in 1976, the line came under constant attack by [[Polisario Front|Polisario]] militia, effectively putting the line out of use and thereby crippling Mauritania's economy.<ref name="auto"/> 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.<ref name="auto"/> This railway is unusual for its usage of the Soviet type [[SA3 coupler|coupler SA-3]], which is quite rare in non-ex-Soviet countries.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}
 ==Traffic==
-[[Image:SNIM ore train Nouadhibou.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Mauritania Railway train at the station in [[Nouadhibou]]]]
+[[Image:SNIM ore train Nouadhibou.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Mauritania Railway train at the station in [[Nouadhibou]]]]
-[[Train]]s on the railway are up to {{convert|3|km}} in length,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snim.com/carnet/trainEn.html |title=The ore train |publisher=Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière |access-date=December 17, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919182041/http://www.snim.com/carnet/trainEn.html |archive-date=September 19, 2008 }}</ref> making them among the longest and heaviest in the world. They consist of 3 or 4 [[Diesel-electric transmission|diesel-electric]] [[Electro-Motive Diesel|EMD]] [[Diesel locomotive|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 <!-- surely billion is too much --> per year.
+[[Train]]s on the railway are up to {{convert|3|km}} in length,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snim.com/carnet/trainEn.html |title=The ore train |publisher=Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière |access-date=December 17, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919182041/http://www.snim.com/carnet/trainEn.html |archive-date=September 19, 2008 }}</ref> making them among the longest and heaviest in the world. They consist of 2 [[Diesel–electric powertrain|diesel-electric]] [[Electro-Motive Diesel|EMD]] [[Diesel locomotive|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 <!-- surely billion is too much --> 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).<ref>http://www.attm.mr/index.php/entreprise/presentation</ref> 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, such as Irish traveler blogger [[Johnny Ward (travel blogger)|Johnny Ward]]. Conditions for these passengers are incredibly harsh with daytime temperatures exceeding 40°C and death from falls being common.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211206/OiRD3GcjmKk Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200427191656/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiRD3GcjmKk&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiRD3GcjmKk&t=521s| title = The Mauritania Railway: Backbone of the Sahara (4K) | website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
+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).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-02-28 |title=Présentation |url=http://www.attm.mr/index.php/entreprise/presentation |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=www.attm.mr}}</ref> 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&nbsp;°C, night-time temperatures approaching freezing, and death from falls being common.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}
-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. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/01/18/watch-desert-train-of-mauritania-running-again-after-10-years|title=Desert train of Mauritania running again after 10 years|website=www.euronews.com|date=18 January 2019|access-date=2019-01-18}}</ref>
+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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/01/18/watch-desert-train-of-mauritania-running-again-after-10-years|title=Desert train of Mauritania running again after 10 years|website=www.euronews.com|date=18 January 2019|access-date=2019-01-18}}</ref>
 == Locomotives ==
-In October 2010, SNIM ordered six [[EMD SD70 series#SD70ACS (2009-Present)|EMD SD-70ACS]] locomotives, with special modifications for operating in high temperatures.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/high-temperature-locomotives-ordered-from-emd.html|access-date=2010-10-30|title=Railway Gazette: High temperature locomotives ordered from EMD}}</ref>
+In October 2010, SNIM ordered six [[EMD SD70 series#SD70ACS (2009–present)|EMD SD70ACS]] locomotives, which featured a pulse filtration system, movable sand plows, EM2000 control system and [[Functionality Integrated Railroad Electronics|FIRE]] display system together with similar modifications to allow for operations in high temperatures.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/high-temperature-locomotives-ordered-from-emd.html|access-date=2010-10-30|title=Railway Gazette: High temperature locomotives ordered from EMD}}</ref>
+Prior to this the railway had operated US-built [[EMD SD40-2|EMD SDL40-2]] locomotives, also with special modifications to deal with operating in dusty and high temperature environments, which themselves were the replacement for twenty-one [[MIFERMA Class CC 01-21|MIFERNA Class CC]] locomotives which had been custom-made in France to operate in the same rough conditions.
-== Glencore Xstrata ==
+== Glencore ==
-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.<ref> http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11332401.htm {{Registration required}}</ref> However, Glencore backed out of the project just one year later after the price of iron ore tumbled nearly 40%.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ker |first1=Peter |title=Glencore abandons Mauritania iron ore project after $US1bn investment |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/glencore-abandons-mauritania-iron-ore-project-after-us1bn-investment-20150311-141cdg.html |access-date=20 December 2018 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=11 March 2015 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Iron Ore Price Outlook |date=13 February 2016 |url=https://www.focus-economics.com/commodities/base-metals/iron-ore |publisher=FocusEconomics |access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref>
+In 2014, mining giant [[Glencore]] acquired 18 years of access to SNIM's rail and port infrastructure for $1 billion, intending to link it to branch lines for new iron mines at [[Askaf]] and [[Guelb El Aouj]]. This arrangement aimed to save costs by avoiding the construction of separate tracks and facilities.<ref>http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11332401.htm {{dead link|date=December 2023}}{{Registration required}}</ref> Glencore withdrew from the project merely a year later, following a nearly 40% drop in the price of iron ore.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ker |first1=Peter |title=Glencore abandons Mauritania iron ore project after $US1bn investment |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/glencore-abandons-mauritania-iron-ore-project-after-us1bn-investment-20150311-141cdg.html |access-date=20 December 2018 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=11 March 2015 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Iron Ore Price Outlook |date=13 February 2016 |url=https://www.focus-economics.com/commodities/base-metals/iron-ore |publisher=FocusEconomics |access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref>
 ==See also==
 {{portal|Trains|Mauritania}}
 * [[Economy of Mauritania]]
 * [[History of rail transport in Mauritania]]
 * [[Transport in Mauritania]]
-* [[Railway stations in Mauritania]]
+* [[Transport in Mauritania|Railway stations in Mauritania]]
-* [[Enclave and exclave]] - crossborder shortcut to avoid tunnel
+* [[Enclave and exclave]] - crossborder shortcut to avoid tunnel.
 == References ==
@@ Line 116: / Line 118: @@
 *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEo-ykjmHgg This Sahara Railway Is One of the Most Extreme in the World] (''[[National Geographic]]''{{'}}s Short Film Showcase)
 *[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-sight/wp/2016/02/12/hot-free-and-dangerous-a-train-ride-in-mauritania/ Hot, free and dangerous: A train ride in Mauritania] (''[[Washington Post]]'')
-*[https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/03/iron-trains-mauritania-160308070717874.html The iron trains of Mauritania] (''[[Al Jazeera]]'')
+*[https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/03/iron-trains-mauritania-160308070717874.html The iron trains of Mauritania] (''[[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]]'')
 *[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/world/africa/08iht-journal.4.6553086.html Train to (almost) nowhere in Mauritania] (''[[New York Times]]'')
 *[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mauritania-train/atop-a-long-train-in-africa-heading-for-change-idUSL1210220420061225 Atop a long train in Africa, heading for change] ([[Reuters]])
 *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiRD3GcjmKk The Mauritania Railway: Backbone of the Sahara, a short documentary film.]
+*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=towJvXG6cvc Tourists back on board Mauritania's desert train] on France 24 ,2019
 {{Africa in topic|Rail transport in}}
@@ Line 126: / Line 129: @@
 [[Category:Railway companies of Mauritania]]
 [[Category:Transport in Western Sahara]]
-{{Mauritania-stub}}

v t e Rail transport in Africa
Sovereign states	Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
States with limited recognition	Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland
Dependencies and other territories	Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte / Réunion (France) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Western Sahara