Congo–Ocean Railway

Congo-Ocean Railway line
Overview
Status	Operational
Locale	Pointe Noire,Bouenza,Kouilou,Niari,Pool,Lékoumou
Termini	Pointe Noire Brazzaville
Stations	49
Service
System	Non-Electrified
Services	ViaDolisie
History
Opened	1934
Technical
Line length	512 km (318 mi)
Number of tracks	1
Character	At-grade
Track gauge	1,067 mm(3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	No
Operating speed	40 kilometres per hour (25 mph)
Route map

TheCongo–Ocean Railway(COR;French:Chemin de fer Congo-Océan,CFCO) links the Atlantic port ofPointe-Noire(now in theRepublic of Congo) withBrazzaville,a distance of 502 kilometres (312 mi). It bypasses the rapids on the lowerCongo River;fromBrazzaville,river boats are able to ascend the Congo River and its major tributaries, including theOubangui RivertoBangui.

As of 2012the railroad was regularly operating freight and passenger services along the length of the line despite the poor state of the track.A luxury passenger train,La Gazelle,using Korean-manufactured passenger cars, was introduced in 2012; as of 2014 it operated betweenPointe-NoireandBrazzavilleevery other day, and was scheduled to take 14–16 hours to complete the 502 kilometres (312 mi) journey.

History

Mayumbe cutting, 1930

Forced labourfamily camp, located near Les Saras, during construction in 1930

Brazzaville station, 1932

Under French colonial administration, in 1921 they contractedSociété de Construction des Batignollesto construct the railway usingforced labour,recruited from what is now southernChadand theCentral African Republic.Like Spain and Portugal, France did not ratify theInternational Labour OrganizationForced Labour Convention of 1930, No. 29.Disdain among the native population towards this conscripted labour and other forms of oppression led to theKongo-Wara rebellionbetween 1928 and 1931.Through the period of construction until 1934 there was a continual heavy cost in human lives, with total deaths estimated in excess of 17,000 of the construction workers, from a combination of both industrial accidents and diseases includingmalaria.In 1946, France ratified the Forced Labour Convention, in light of a permanent state of emergency, due to indigenous revolt.

In 1962, a branch was constructed toMbindanear the border withGabon,to connect with theCOMILOG Cablewayand thus carrymanganeseore to Pointe-Noire. The Cableway closed in 1986 when neighbouringGabonbuilt its own railway to haul this traffic. The branch line remains active nonetheless.

The Congo–Ocean Railway was a user of theGolwé locomotive.Motive power is now provided by diesel locomotives.

From the start of thecivil warin 1997, the line was closed for six years.

Operations restarted in 2004, but in August 2007BBC Newsreported that COR was in a "decrepit state, with the majority of trains now broken", afterUNICEFhad organised a train to distribute malaria nets.In 2007, aKorean-led consortium CMKC Group signed a deal to build railway extensions toOuessoandDjambalamainly for timber traffic.

On 21 June 2010, a train of the Congo–Ocean Railroadwas involved in a major accident,in which at least 60 people were killed. The train is believed to have derailed as it went round a curve in a remote area betweenBilingaandTchitondi,throwing four carriages into a ravine. The dead and wounded were taken to hospitals and morgues in Pointe-Noire.

In 2011, it was announced thatAfrica Ironwas close to concluding a 25-year ore transport deal with Congo–Ocean.In early 2015 the Congo–Ocean Railway purchased 10 EMD GT38AC locomotives fromElectro-Motive Dieselin Muncie, Indiana. They were put into service by the summer of 2015.

In 2021 a proposal was announced for aMayoko&Niari-Pointe-Noirerailway for iron ore traffic.

Stations served

Congo–Ocean Railway Chemin de fer Congo-Océan
Technical
Line length	512 km / 318 mi
Track gauge	1067 mm / 3 ft 6 in
Route map 512 km Brazzaville Kikembo Ngoma-Tse-Tse Mayogongo Kibouende Ngabouloumou Madza Matoumbou Loualou Massembo-Loubaki Missafou Mindouli Kingoyi Kikembo Loulombo Kimbedi Loutété Bouansa Kipambou-Kayes Madingou Kimbaouka Bodissa Nkayi Moutela Loudima 285 km Mbinda (Comilog-Line) 0 km ?km Mont Bélo Moubotsi Tao-Tao ?km 91 km Loubomo (Dolisie) Moukondo Mvouti Mpounga Malemba Les Saras Mfoubou Mvoungouti Nzombo Tsessi Tsoumbou Nemba Nkougni ?km 0 km Bilinga Yanga Mboukou Makola Hinda Ntombo Ngondji 0 km Pointe-Noire

COMILOG-Line
Technical
Line length	285 km / 177 mi
Track gauge	1067 mm / 3 ft 6 in
Route map 285 km Mbinda Ngongo Mayoko Tsinguidi Mbaka Vouka Nzima Moungoundou Moutebe Mossendjo Boungoto Massanga Tsimba Itsotso Titi Mabafi Mahitoula 106 km PK 106 Boudanga Makabana Moukanga Diesse Sinda Mouindi Kibouba 512 km Brazzaville Loutété (Congo-Ocean) 0 km Mont Bélo 0 km Pointe-Noire 1 m

Main article:Railway stations in Congo

Specifications

The line includes the 1,690-metre (1,850 yd)Bamba tunneland 14 large reinforced concrete viaducts. The steepest eastbound gradients are 1 in 67 (1.5%), the steepest westbound 1 in 50 (2.0%). The initial locomotives were2-8-2tender and articulated tank engines with six driving axles. There were also 2 4-wheel petrol cars for engineers and an 18-passengerMichelineand another Micheline for the Governor General.

• Track gauge:3 ft 6 in(1,067 mm) gauge
• Brake (railway):Vacuum brake
• Coupler:SA3 coupler

Operations

The COR is a state-owned enterprise whose privatization was planned as part of the commitments made by the Congolese government to theWorld Bankand theInternational Monetary Fund.Among the candidates were several consortia, including Congo-Rail (Bolloré Investments,Maersk,SNCF), and the South African consortium Sheltam Mvela.

Railway links to adjacent countries

• Democratic Republic of the Congo– no – same gauge1,067 mm(3 ft 6 in) – proposed road-rail bridge.
• Angola (Cabinda)– no lines in Cabinda – same gauge1,067 mm(3 ft 6 in) as mainland Angola
• Gabon– no –break of gauge1,067 mm(3 ft 6 in)/1,435 mm(4 ft8+1⁄2in)
• Cameroon– no – break of gauge1,067 mm(3 ft 6 in)/1,000 mm(3 ft3+3⁄8in)
• Central African Republic– no – no railways

Cities served by rail

Main article:Railway stations in Congo

In the media

In 2012 theCongo–Ocean Railwaywas featured in an episode of the television seriesChris Tarrant:Extreme Railways.

See also

• Congo Railway
• Matadi-Kinshasa Railwayin theDemocratic Republic of the Congo.
• Railway stations in Congo
• List of countries by rail transport network size
• Transport in the Republic of the Congo

Further reading

• Daughton, J. P. (2021).In the Forest of No Joy: The Cong-Océan Railroad and the Tragedy of French Colonialism.
• Gide, André (1926).Voyage au Congo.
• Londres, Albert (1929).Terre d'Ébène.
• Sautter, Gilles (1967)."Notes sur la construction du chemin de fer Congo-Océan (1921–1934)".Cahiers d'Études Africaines.7(26): 219–299.doi:10.3406/cea.1967.3098– viaPersee.fr.

External links

External videos
YouTube video clips
[1],9 May 2017; 45:06; Chris Tarrant Extreme Railways S01E01 – Congo

• Media related toChemin de fer Congo–Océanat Wikimedia Commons
• A 2021 book,In the Forest of No Joy: The Congo-Océan Railroad and the Tragedy of French Colonialismby J. P. Daughton (Norton, 384 pp), describes the gruesome toll taken on the African laborers who built the railroad in the 1920s and 30s. A brief review inThe New Yorkernotes that although the project "was championed as key to local development," over 20 000 of them "perished of starvation, disease, or physical abuse. Mostly forced laborers, they toiled without machinery, clearing forests by hand and turning rocks into gravel with hammers."Publisher:https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393541014
• Official website

Maps

• UN Map
• reliefweb.intArchived27 September 2007 at theWayback Machine
• UNJLC Rail map of Southern Africa