896:
29:
1000:
430:
401:
680:
647:
614:
489:
336:
556:
423:
362:
482:
394:
343:
687:
582:
563:
452:
128:
160:
153:
121:
654:
621:
589:
531:
508:
459:
369:
311:
288:
265:
240:
217:
192:
167:
986:
922:
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). Passenger cars are sometimes attached to freight trains, but more often passengers simply ride atop the ore
923:
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.
926:
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.
882:
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. This railway is unusual for its usage of the Soviet type
974:. This arrangement aimed to save costs by avoiding the construction of separate tracks and facilities. Glencore withdrew from the project merely a year later, following a nearly 40% drop in the price of iron ore.
1728:
1498:
878:
militia, effectively putting the line out of use and thereby crippling
Mauritania's economy. This played a major role in prompting the army to overthrow Mauritanian President
1643:
1236:
950:
locomotives, also with special modifications to deal with operating in dusty and high temperature environments, which themselves were the replacement for twenty-one
1483:
867:
The line was a success and provided a major portion of
Mauritania's GDP; as a result, the line was nationalized in 1974. Following Mauritania's annexation of
746:
1503:
1377:
800:
1837:
1059:
1018:
862:
1341:
1420:
966:
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
909:
on the railway are up to 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) in length, making them among the longest and heaviest in the world. They consist of 3 or 4
1295:
1197:
438:
409:
1842:
1832:
1754:
919:, 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.
1518:
1172:
1098:
1353:
940:
1810:
739:
1558:
1793:
1668:
1658:
1463:
1028:
825:
1673:
1563:
1493:
775:. Construction of the line began in 1960, with its opening in 1963. It consists of a single, 704-kilometre (437 mi)
1801:
1797:
1784:
1733:
1653:
1618:
1603:
1588:
1543:
1478:
910:
1608:
732:
1121:
1708:
1683:
1533:
1528:
1508:
1473:
1458:
1413:
1221:
1780:
1771:
1762:
1693:
1663:
1648:
1633:
1623:
1613:
1578:
1573:
1523:
1468:
1443:
1088:
1703:
1698:
1638:
1593:
1553:
1448:
1429:
1365:
1358:
1758:
1678:
1628:
1583:
1568:
1548:
1538:
1513:
1453:
1023:
1688:
1598:
1488:
951:
1406:
1013:
913:
939:
locomotives, which featured a pulse filtration system, movable sand plows, EM2000 control system and
632:
1331:
1261:
1033:
971:
665:
943:
display system together with similar modifications to allow for operations in high temperatures.
879:
815:
698:
1321:
1291:
1094:
1005:
916:
868:
251:
954:
locomotives which had been custom-made in France to operate in the same rough conditions.
895:
1346:
936:
811:
1311:
1370:
1147:
871:
819:
80:
28:
1826:
991:
807:
1288:
World Rail Atlas and
Historical Summary. Volume 7: North, East and Central Africa
1316:
1060:"Mauritania, a Nation of Moorish Nomads, Suddenly Finds Herself in 20th Century"
884:
52:
1392:
1387:
1326:
981:
947:
900:
788:
784:
772:
600:
542:
203:
178:
1216:
840:
827:
875:
1398:
1125:
1388:
The
Mauritania Railway: Backbone of the Sahara, a short documentary film.
963:
780:
1237:"Glencore abandons Mauritania iron ore project after $ US1bn investment"
1381:
776:
139:
102:
1068:
last June, the 20th century elbowed its way into this
Biblical picture
792:
810:, a 5 km (3.1 mi) section of the railway cuts through the
985:
967:
906:
894:
796:
377:
322:
1198:"Railway Gazette: High temperature locomotives ordered from EMD"
1402:
1327:
This Sahara
Railway Is One of the Most Extreme in the World
1124:. Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière. Archived from
1173:"Desert train of Mauritania running again after 10 years"
887:, which is quite rare in non ex-Soviet countries.
1742:
1717:
1436:
1342:
Hot, free and dangerous: A train ride in
Mauritania
51:
43:
38:
21:
1393:Tourists back on board Mauritania's desert train
946:Prior to this the railway had operated US-built
874:in 1976, the line came under constant attack by
1378:Atop a long train in Africa, heading for change
1414:
740:
8:
899:Mauritania Railway train at the station in
1421:
1407:
1399:
1217:http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11332401.htm
747:
733:
110:
88:
801:Société nationale industrielle et minière
1317:Train images at Adventures in Mauritania
1366:Train to (almost) nowhere in Mauritania
1051:
1019:History of rail transport in Mauritania
863:History of rail transport in Mauritania
90:
1290:. Barnsley, UK: World Rail Atlas Ltd.
1082:
1080:
1078:
1076:
1036:- crossborder shortcut to avoid tunnel
18:
7:
1093:. Scarecrow Press. pp. 424–25.
1090:Historical Dictionary of Mauritania
803:(SNIM) controls the railway line.
1264:. FocusEconomics. 13 February 2016
935:In October 2010, SNIM ordered six
14:
679:
646:
613:
1729:Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
1499:Democratic Republic of the Congo
998:
984:
685:
678:
652:
645:
619:
612:
587:
580:
561:
554:
529:
506:
487:
480:
457:
450:
439:Mauritania–Western Sahara border
429:
428:
421:
410:Mauritania–Western Sahara border
400:
399:
392:
367:
360:
341:
334:
309:
286:
263:
238:
215:
190:
165:
158:
151:
126:
119:
27:
1838:Railway companies of Mauritania
488:
422:
361:
335:
1087:Pazzanita, Anthony G. (2008).
1029:Railway stations in Mauritania
481:
393:
342:
16:National railway of Mauritania
1:
1354:The iron trains of Mauritania
686:
581:
562:
555:
451:
127:
1235:Ker, Peter (11 March 2015).
159:
152:
120:
1843:Transport in Western Sahara
1833:Railway lines in Mauritania
771:is the national railway of
653:
620:
588:
530:
507:
458:
368:
310:
287:
264:
239:
216:
191:
166:
1859:
860:
1430:Rail transport in Africa
1241:The Sydney Morning Herald
806:Since the closure of the
697:
672:
664:
639:
631:
606:
599:
574:
570:
548:
541:
523:
518:
500:
496:
474:
469:
444:
437:
415:
408:
386:
376:
354:
350:
328:
321:
303:
298:
280:
275:
257:
250:
232:
227:
209:
202:
184:
177:
145:
138:
113:
87:
47:704 km (437 mi)
33:Map of Mauritania Railway
26:
1484:Central African Republic
1262:"Iron Ore Price Outlook"
1286:Robinson, Neil (2009).
1024:Transport in Mauritania
841:21.354867°N 13.012644°W
1338:s Short Film Showcase)
962:In 2014, mining giant
903:
1644:SĂŁo TomĂ© and PrĂncipe
1504:Republic of the Congo
1222:registration required
1128:on September 19, 2008
1014:Economy of Mauritania
898:
846:21.354867; -13.012644
1322:Map of railway route
1066:. January 20, 1964.
1719:States with limited
1332:National Geographic
1034:Enclave and exclave
837: /
799:. The state agency
1395:on France 24 ,2019
1064:The New York Times
904:
880:Moktar Ould Daddah
769:Mauritania Railway
22:Mauritania Railway
1820:
1819:
1746:other territories
1519:Equatorial Guinea
1297:978-954-92184-3-5
1179:. 18 January 2019
1006:Mauritania portal
787:with the port of
783:mining centre of
779:line linking the
765:
764:
761:
760:
757:
756:
721:
720:
382:
1850:
1807:
1806:(United Kingdom)
1802:Tristan da Cunha
1798:Ascension Island
1790:
1777:
1768:
1744:Dependencies and
1437:Sovereign states
1423:
1416:
1409:
1400:
1337:
1301:
1273:
1272:
1270:
1269:
1258:
1252:
1251:
1249:
1247:
1232:
1226:
1225:
1214:
1208:
1207:
1205:
1204:
1194:
1188:
1187:
1185:
1184:
1177:www.euronews.com
1169:
1163:
1162:
1160:
1159:
1144:
1138:
1137:
1135:
1133:
1118:
1112:
1111:
1109:
1107:
1084:
1071:
1070:
1056:
1008:
1003:
1002:
1001:
994:
989:
988:
952:MIFERNA Class CC
852:
851:
849:
848:
847:
842:
838:
835:
834:
833:
830:
749:
742:
735:
729:
689:
688:
682:
681:
656:
655:
649:
648:
623:
622:
616:
615:
591:
590:
584:
583:
565:
564:
558:
557:
533:
532:
510:
509:
491:
490:
484:
483:
461:
460:
454:
453:
432:
431:
425:
424:
403:
402:
396:
395:
380:
371:
370:
364:
363:
345:
344:
338:
337:
313:
312:
290:
289:
267:
266:
242:
241:
219:
218:
194:
193:
169:
168:
162:
161:
155:
154:
130:
129:
123:
122:
111:
103:
89:
83:
77:
75:
74:
70:
67:
59:
31:
19:
1858:
1857:
1853:
1852:
1851:
1849:
1848:
1847:
1823:
1822:
1821:
1816:
1815:
1805:
1788:
1775:
1766:
1747:
1745:
1738:
1722:
1720:
1713:
1432:
1427:
1347:Washington Post
1335:
1312:SNIM train site
1308:
1298:
1285:
1282:
1280:Further reading
1277:
1276:
1267:
1265:
1260:
1259:
1255:
1245:
1243:
1234:
1233:
1229:
1219:
1215:
1211:
1202:
1200:
1196:
1195:
1191:
1182:
1180:
1171:
1170:
1166:
1157:
1155:
1146:
1145:
1141:
1131:
1129:
1122:"The ore train"
1120:
1119:
1115:
1105:
1103:
1101:
1086:
1085:
1074:
1058:
1057:
1053:
1048:
1043:
1004:
999:
997:
990:
983:
980:
960:
933:
911:diesel-electric
893:
865:
859:
845:
843:
839:
836:
831:
828:
826:
824:
823:
816:controlled part
812:Polisario Front
753:
727:
695:
690:
683:
662:
657:
650:
629:
624:
617:
597:
592:
585:
566:
559:
539:
534:
516:
511:
492:
485:
467:
462:
455:
433:
426:
404:
397:
372:
365:
346:
339:
319:
314:
296:
291:
273:
268:
248:
243:
225:
220:
200:
195:
175:
170:
163:
156:
136:
131:
124:
94:
79:
72:
68:
65:
63:
62:4 ft
61:
57:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1856:
1854:
1846:
1845:
1840:
1835:
1825:
1824:
1818:
1817:
1814:
1813:
1811:Western Sahara
1808:
1791:
1778:
1769:
1755:Canary Islands
1751:
1750:
1748:
1743:
1740:
1739:
1737:
1736:
1731:
1725:
1723:
1718:
1715:
1714:
1712:
1711:
1706:
1701:
1696:
1691:
1686:
1681:
1676:
1671:
1666:
1661:
1656:
1651:
1646:
1641:
1636:
1631:
1626:
1621:
1616:
1611:
1606:
1601:
1596:
1591:
1586:
1581:
1576:
1571:
1566:
1561:
1556:
1551:
1546:
1541:
1536:
1531:
1526:
1521:
1516:
1511:
1506:
1501:
1496:
1491:
1486:
1481:
1476:
1471:
1466:
1461:
1456:
1451:
1446:
1440:
1438:
1434:
1433:
1428:
1426:
1425:
1418:
1411:
1403:
1397:
1396:
1390:
1385:
1375:
1371:New York Times
1363:
1351:
1339:
1324:
1319:
1314:
1307:
1306:External links
1304:
1303:
1302:
1296:
1281:
1278:
1275:
1274:
1253:
1227:
1209:
1189:
1164:
1148:"Présentation"
1139:
1113:
1099:
1072:
1050:
1049:
1047:
1044:
1042:
1039:
1038:
1037:
1031:
1026:
1021:
1016:
1010:
1009:
995:
979:
976:
959:
956:
932:
929:
892:
889:
872:Western Sahara
861:Main article:
858:
855:
820:Western Sahara
763:
762:
759:
758:
755:
754:
752:
751:
744:
737:
728:This diagram:
726:
723:
722:
719:
718:
716:
714:
712:
710:
708:
706:
703:
702:
696:
693:
691:
684:
677:
675:
673:
670:
669:
663:
660:
658:
651:
644:
642:
640:
637:
636:
633:Guelb El Rhein
630:
627:
625:
618:
611:
609:
607:
604:
603:
598:
595:
593:
586:
579:
577:
575:
572:
571:
569:
567:
560:
553:
551:
549:
546:
545:
540:
537:
535:
528:
526:
524:
521:
520:
517:
514:
512:
505:
503:
501:
498:
497:
495:
493:
486:
479:
477:
475:
472:
471:
468:
465:
463:
456:
449:
447:
445:
442:
441:
436:
434:
427:
420:
418:
416:
413:
412:
407:
405:
398:
391:
389:
387:
384:
383:
375:
373:
366:
359:
357:
355:
352:
351:
349:
347:
340:
333:
331:
329:
326:
325:
320:
317:
315:
308:
306:
304:
301:
300:
297:
294:
292:
285:
283:
281:
278:
277:
276:Tmeimitschatt
274:
271:
269:
262:
260:
258:
255:
254:
249:
246:
244:
237:
235:
233:
230:
229:
226:
223:
221:
214:
212:
210:
207:
206:
201:
198:
196:
189:
187:
185:
182:
181:
176:
173:
171:
164:
157:
150:
148:
146:
143:
142:
137:
134:
132:
125:
118:
116:
114:
107:
106:
96:
95:
92:
85:
84:
81:standard gauge
55:
49:
48:
45:
41:
40:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1855:
1844:
1841:
1839:
1836:
1834:
1831:
1830:
1828:
1812:
1809:
1803:
1799:
1795:
1792:
1786:
1782:
1779:
1773:
1770:
1764:
1760:
1756:
1753:
1752:
1749:
1741:
1735:
1732:
1730:
1727:
1726:
1724:
1716:
1710:
1707:
1705:
1702:
1700:
1697:
1695:
1692:
1690:
1687:
1685:
1682:
1680:
1677:
1675:
1672:
1670:
1667:
1665:
1662:
1660:
1657:
1655:
1652:
1650:
1647:
1645:
1642:
1640:
1637:
1635:
1632:
1630:
1627:
1625:
1622:
1620:
1617:
1615:
1612:
1610:
1607:
1605:
1602:
1600:
1597:
1595:
1592:
1590:
1587:
1585:
1582:
1580:
1577:
1575:
1572:
1570:
1567:
1565:
1562:
1560:
1559:Guinea-Bissau
1557:
1555:
1552:
1550:
1547:
1545:
1542:
1540:
1537:
1535:
1532:
1530:
1527:
1525:
1522:
1520:
1517:
1515:
1512:
1510:
1507:
1505:
1502:
1500:
1497:
1495:
1492:
1490:
1487:
1485:
1482:
1480:
1477:
1475:
1472:
1470:
1467:
1465:
1462:
1460:
1457:
1455:
1452:
1450:
1447:
1445:
1442:
1441:
1439:
1435:
1431:
1424:
1419:
1417:
1412:
1410:
1405:
1404:
1401:
1394:
1391:
1389:
1386:
1383:
1379:
1376:
1373:
1372:
1367:
1364:
1361:
1360:
1355:
1352:
1349:
1348:
1343:
1340:
1334:
1333:
1328:
1325:
1323:
1320:
1318:
1315:
1313:
1310:
1309:
1305:
1299:
1293:
1289:
1284:
1283:
1279:
1263:
1257:
1254:
1242:
1238:
1231:
1228:
1223:
1218:
1213:
1210:
1199:
1193:
1190:
1178:
1174:
1168:
1165:
1153:
1149:
1143:
1140:
1127:
1123:
1117:
1114:
1102:
1100:9780810862654
1096:
1092:
1091:
1083:
1081:
1079:
1077:
1073:
1069:
1065:
1061:
1055:
1052:
1045:
1040:
1035:
1032:
1030:
1027:
1025:
1022:
1020:
1017:
1015:
1012:
1011:
1007:
996:
993:
992:Trains portal
987:
982:
977:
975:
973:
972:Guelb El Aouj
969:
965:
957:
955:
953:
949:
944:
942:
938:
930:
928:
924:
920:
918:
915:
912:
908:
902:
897:
890:
888:
886:
881:
877:
873:
870:
864:
856:
854:
850:
821:
817:
813:
809:
804:
802:
798:
794:
790:
786:
782:
778:
774:
770:
750:
745:
743:
738:
736:
731:
730:
725:
724:
717:
715:
713:
711:
709:
707:
705:
704:
700:
692:
676:
674:
671:
667:
659:
643:
641:
638:
634:
626:
610:
608:
605:
602:
594:
578:
576:
573:
568:
552:
550:
547:
544:
536:
527:
525:
522:
513:
504:
502:
499:
494:
478:
476:
473:
464:
448:
446:
443:
440:
435:
419:
417:
414:
411:
406:
390:
388:
385:
379:
374:
358:
356:
353:
348:
332:
330:
327:
324:
316:
307:
305:
302:
293:
284:
282:
279:
270:
261:
259:
256:
253:
245:
236:
234:
231:
222:
213:
211:
208:
205:
197:
188:
186:
183:
180:
172:
149:
147:
144:
141:
133:
117:
115:
112:
109:
108:
105:
104:
101:
98:
97:
91:
86:
82:
58:1,435 mm
56:
54:
50:
46:
42:
37:
30:
25:
20:
1794:Saint Helena
1765:
1669:South Africa
1659:Sierra Leone
1464:Burkina Faso
1369:
1357:
1345:
1330:
1287:
1266:. Retrieved
1256:
1244:. Retrieved
1240:
1230:
1212:
1201:. Retrieved
1192:
1181:. Retrieved
1176:
1167:
1156:. Retrieved
1154:. 2012-02-28
1151:
1142:
1132:December 17,
1130:. Retrieved
1126:the original
1116:
1104:. Retrieved
1089:
1067:
1063:
1054:
961:
945:
934:
925:
921:
905:
885:coupler SA-3
866:
808:Choum Tunnel
805:
768:
766:
378:Choum Tunnel
99:
1721:recognition
1674:South Sudan
1564:Ivory Coast
1246:20 December
1152:www.attm.mr
948:EMD SDL40-2
937:EMD SD70ACS
931:Locomotives
917:locomotives
844: /
699:Storanville
53:Track gauge
44:Line length
1827:Categories
1776:(Portugal)
1734:Somaliland
1654:Seychelles
1619:Mozambique
1604:Mauritania
1589:Madagascar
1544:The Gambia
1479:Cape Verde
1359:Al Jazeera
1268:2019-08-26
1203:2010-10-30
1183:2019-01-18
1158:2023-11-07
1106:25 January
1041:References
901:Nouadhibou
832:13°00′46″W
829:21°21′18″N
789:Nouadhibou
773:Mauritania
519:Tuadschil
299:Ben Amira
204:Boulenouar
179:Nouadhibou
1609:Mauritius
876:Polisario
666:M'Haoudat
381:(Disused)
228:Agueijit
93:Route map
39:Technical
1800: /
1796: /
1789:(France)
1783: /
1761: /
1757: /
1709:Zimbabwe
1684:Tanzania
1534:Ethiopia
1529:Eswatini
1509:Djibouti
1474:Cameroon
1459:Botswana
978:See also
964:Glencore
958:Glencore
869:southern
76: in
1785:RĂ©union
1781:Mayotte
1772:Madeira
1767:(Spain)
1763:Melilla
1694:Tunisia
1664:Somalia
1649:Senegal
1634:Nigeria
1624:Namibia
1614:Morocco
1579:Liberia
1574:Lesotho
1524:Eritrea
1494:Comoros
1469:Burundi
1444:Algeria
1382:Reuters
891:Traffic
857:History
818:of the
785:Zouérat
777:railway
601:Zouérat
543:Fderîck
140:Cansado
71:⁄
1804:
1787:
1774:
1704:Zambia
1699:Uganda
1639:Rwanda
1594:Malawi
1554:Guinea
1449:Angola
1294:
1097:
907:Trains
793:Fderik
791:, via
694:735 km
661:700 km
628:670 km
596:650 km
538:625 km
515:568 km
466:485 km
318:460 km
295:393 km
272:318 km
247:255 km
224:222 km
100:
1759:Ceuta
1679:Sudan
1629:Niger
1584:Libya
1569:Kenya
1549:Ghana
1539:Gabon
1514:Egypt
1454:Benin
1336:'
1046:Notes
968:Askaf
797:Choum
701:mine
668:mine
635:mine
470:Char
323:Choum
199:96 km
1689:Togo
1599:Mali
1489:Chad
1292:ISBN
1248:2018
1134:2008
1108:2020
1095:ISBN
970:and
941:FIRE
853:).
795:and
781:iron
767:The
748:edit
741:talk
734:view
252:Inal
174:0 km
135:0 km
914:EMD
1829::
1239:.
1175:.
1150:.
1075:^
1062:.
78:)
1422:e
1415:t
1408:v
1384:)
1380:(
1374:)
1368:(
1362:)
1356:(
1350:)
1344:(
1329:(
1300:.
1271:.
1250:.
1224:)
1220:(
1206:.
1186:.
1161:.
1136:.
1110:.
822:(
814:-
73:2
69:1
66:+
64:8
60:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.