Railways in Liberia comprised two lines from the port of Monrovia in the northwest, and one line from the port of Buchanan in the centre. The lines were built between 1951 and 1964 principally to transport iron ore. All three lines closed down, two due to the effects of the two Liberian Civil Wars (1989–1996 and 1999–2003). The Bong Mine Railway recommenced operations in 2003 [1] . The Lamco Railway was rebuilt by Arcelor Mittal and put back into service in 2011 as far as Tokadeh, Nimba County, allowing export of iron ore from the company's mine on the Guinean border via the Port of Buchanan. [2]
The 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge Mano River railway primarily carried freight, but had very limited passenger service between Monrovia, Mano River terminal, Brewerville, Klay, Tubmanburg and Mano River Mine. These are now disused, due to exhaustion of the Iron Ore deposits on the line. [3]
The Bong Mine railway was damaged during the civil war and reopened in 2003 [1] by 2007 [4] or 2009. [5] It had intermittent service to the following places: [3]
This railway is 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge . [6]
The Lamco railway was originally built to take iron ore from Mount Nimba - Yekepa Train station and Tokadeh to the port of Buchanan, for export. [7] It fell into disuse and was damaged during the civil war, but has recently been rebuilt by Arcelor Mittal from Tokadeh to the coast and was put back into service in 2011. [2] This railway is 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge . [6]
In January 2006, there was an accident on the Bong Mines railway; a train travelling from the mine to Monrovia collided with a makeshift wooden trolley used by locals (known as a "Make-away"). Two were killed. [11]
Transport in Guinea is composed by a variety of systems that people in the country use to get around as well as to and from domestic and international destinations. The railway from Conakry to Kankan ceased operating in the mid-1980s. Most vehicles in Guinea are 20+ years old, and cabs are any four-door vehicle which the owner has designated as being for hire. Domestic air services are intermittent. Conakry International Airport is the largest airport in the country, with flights to other cities in Africa as well as to Europe.
Transport in Liberia consists of 243 km of railways, 6,580 miles of highways, seaports, 29 airports and 2 miles of pipeline for oil transportation. Buses and taxis are the main forms of ground transportation in and around Monrovia. Charter boats are also available.
There are a number of systems of transport in Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, which possess road, rail, air and water infrastructure, including a network of highways and several airports.
Buchanan, also previously known as Grand Bassa on some maps, is the third largest city in Liberia, lying on Waterhouse Bay, part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2008 census, Buchanan had a population of 34,270. Of this, 16,984 were male and 17,286 female.
Yekepa is a town in the Yahmein or Yarmein District of northern Nimba County in Liberia, lying near the Guinean border. It was the base for Lamco's iron ore mining operation until it was destroyed in the First Liberian Civil War which lasted from 1989 to 1997. Nearby Guesthouse Hill is one of the highest points in the nation. The community is home to the African Bible College University. Despite some controversy, international steel company Arcelor Mittal was given approval to begin restoring the once prosperous mining town in May 2007. The reconstruction was to include a hospital, schools and other facilities for the township. However, due to fluctuations in world iron prices, much of the redevelopment never happened, and less than a decade later, much of the site had been abandoned once again.
Sanniquellie is a city and the capital of Nimba County and Sanniquellie-Mahn District, Liberia. It is located in the north-east of the country at coordinates 07°21'49" N 008°42'40" W. The average altitude of the city is 420 metres above the sea level. As of the 2008 national census, the population stood at 11,415. The most represented tribes are Mano, Gio and Mandingo.
Nimba County is a county in northeastern Liberia that shares borders with the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire in the East and the Republic of Guinea in the Northwest. Its capital city is Sanniquellie and its most populous city is Ganta. With the county's area measuring 11,551 square miles (29,920 km2), Nimba is the largest of Liberia's 15 counties. The county has six statutory districts. As of the 2022 Census, it had a population of 621,841, making it the second most populous county in Liberia.
Bong is a county in the north-central portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has twelve districts. Gbarnga serves as the capital. The area of the county measures 8,772 square kilometres (3,387 sq mi). As of the 2022 Census, it had a population of 467,502, making it the third-most populous county in Liberia. The county was organized in 1964 and is important for its mining industry. Bong produces mostly iron ore, for example at the Bong Mine, located in Bong Town.
Grand Bassa is a county in the west-central portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has eight districts. Buchanan serves as the capital with the area of the county measuring 3,064 square miles (7,940 km2). As of the 2022 Census, it had a population of 293,557, making it the sixth most populous county in Liberia.
The Liberian-American-Swedish Mining Company (LAMCO) is a defunct Liberian corporation that mined for iron ore in the Nimba range in Liberia and exploited the area during the second half of the twentieth century. Founded in 1955 by American and Swedish investors, the company established the first large-scale mining operation in Liberia following the discovery in the 1950s of the Nimba ore body by geologist Sandy Clarke.
The Transguinean Railways is a proposed set of heavy haul standard gauge railways in Guinea to support haulage of primarily iron ore and bauxite.
Railway stations in Sierra Leone include:
The list of railway stations in Cameroon includes:
Railway stations in Guinea include:
The Freeport of Monrovia is the main commercial port facility in the West African nation of Liberia. It was artificially created on Bushrod Island near Monrovia in 1948. The facility contains four piers and one main wharf with four berths. The port also has tanker facilities and a fishery pier. The National Port Authority operates it.
In March 2010, the Freeport of Monrovia became ISPS Compliant and moved from Security Level 2 to Security Level 1 in July 2010. The Freeport of Monrovia awarded an Operations Contract to APM Terminal to handle port operations, which includes container handling, cargo handling, and marine.
Guinea has 1,155km of railways. This comprises 366km at 1,435 mm gauge and 789km at 1,000 mm gauge. The latter includes 662km in common carrier service from Kankan to Conakry most of which is abandoned.
Senegal's rail network consists of 906 km of railway at 1,000 mm gauge, and 36 km of 1,445 mm gauge. The metre-gauge network is part of the Dakar–Niger Railway which crosses the border to Mali. The railway is operated by Transrail, managed by the Belgian company Vecturis.
Didia is a town in Liberia on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies about 30 km to the southeast of the town of Buchanan.
The history of rail transport in Liberia began shortly after World War II, when the Freeport of Monrovia was completed, with limited rail access. It had been developed by American military forces.