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Narrow gauge railways are common in Africa, where great distances, challenging terrain and low funding have made the narrow gauges attractive. Many nations, particularly in southern Africa, including the extensive South African Railway network ([[Spoornet]]), use a {{RailGauge|3ft6in}} gauge. Metre gauge is also common, as in the case of the [[Uganda Railway]]. There used to be extensive {{RailGauge|2ft}} and {{RailGauge|600mm}} gauge networks in countries such as [[Morocco]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]], [[Angola]], [[Namibia]] and South Africa, but these have mostly been dismantled or converted. Some also survive in [[Egypt]]: in the countryside around [[Luxor]], narrow gauge railways are used for the transportation of [[sugar cane]].▼
[[Image:Dual Gauge Africa 3 Rail Impossible.jpg|thumb|{{Track gauge|1000mm|disp=1|lk=on}} and {{Track gauge|1067mm|disp=1|lk=on}} gauges are too close to allow 3-rail [[dual gauge]]]]
[[Image:Dual Gauge Africa 4 Rail 3 Gauge.jpg|thumb|{{Track gauge|1000mm|disp=1|lk=on}} and {{Track gauge|1067mm|disp=1|lk=on}} gauges can be combined as a 4 rail [[dual gauge]] with bonus {{Track gauge|1435mm|disp=1|lk=on}} gauge]]
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Because Africa is divided into many countries, railways built by different governments tend not to link up with each other, each country's lines connecting its outlands with its own port. Incompatible gauges are therefore not obvious. For example, a link from [[Nigeria]] to [[Cameroon]] would join {{RailGauge|3ft6in}} to {{RailGauge|1000mm}}.
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The railways of South Africa and many other African countries, including [[Angola]], [[Botswana]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]], [[Ghana]], [[Mozambique]], [[Namibia]], [[Nigeria]], [[Sudan]], [[Zambia]] and [[Zimbabwe]], use {{RailGauge|1067mm}} gauge, sometimes referred to as '''[[Cape gauge]]'''. [[Kenya]], [[Uganda]] and others use {{RailGauge|1000mm}} gauge lines. In [[Tanzania]] former East African Railways lines are metre gauge while the [[TAZARA]] line is {{RailGauge|3ft6in}}
==History==
During the period of British colonisation of Africa, [[Cecil Rhodes]] advocated the construction of a [[Cape to Cairo railway]], linking all [[British possessions]] along the eastern side of Africa between South Africa and Egypt. While most countries through which such a line would run have cape gauge lines, Tanzania and Kenya have metre gauge lines, although the TAZARA line in Tanzania is cape gauge.
==
[[File:Luxor Narrow Gauge Train R01.jpg|thumb|upright|Narrow gauge wagon at [[Kurna|Qurna]] ([[Luxor]] region, Egypt) loaded with sugar cane]]▼
Metre gauge survive in [[Egypt]]: in the countryside around [[Luxor]], narrow gauge railways are used for the transportation of [[sugar cane]].▼
==
▲[[File:Luxor Narrow Gauge Train R01.jpg|thumb|upright|Narrow
The [[Eritrean Railway]]'s {{RailGauge|950mm}} narrow gauge railway was abandoned and heavily damaged during [[Eritrea]]'s [[Eritrean War of Independence|war of independence]]. It was later rebuilt between [[Asmara]] and [[Massawa]]. Neighbouring railways are {{RailGauge|3ft6in}} in [[Sudan]] and {{RailGauge|1000mm}} in [[Ethiopia]].▼
▲Metre gauge survive in [[Egypt]]: in the countryside around [[Luxor]], narrow
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▲The [[Eritrean Railway]]'s {{RailGauge|950mm}} narrow
During the [[First World War]] when Cameroon was a German possession, a network of {{RailGauge|2ft}} gauge [[Feldbahn]] railways were built. These eventually extended to around 150 km of track serving rubber and palm oil plantations.<ref name="TFBT">{{cite book |title=Two feet between the tracks |author=Rowe, D. Trevor|publisher=Plateway Press |year=1990 |isbn=1-871980-03-8}}</ref>▼
===Cameroon===
▲During the [[First World War]] when Cameroon was a German possession, a network of {{RailGauge|2ft}} gauge [[Feldbahn]] railways were built. These eventually extended to around 150 km of track serving rubber and [[palm oil]] plantations.<ref name="TFBT">{{cite book |title=Two feet between the tracks |author=Rowe, D. Trevor|publisher=Plateway Press |year=1990 |isbn=1-871980-03-8}}</ref>
The {{RailGauge|1000mm}} gauge is now in use.
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{{Main|Narrow
Morocco had from 1912 – 1935 one of the largest {{RailGauge|600mm}} gauge networks in Africa with total length of more than 1700 kilometres. After the treaty of Algeciras where the representatives of Great Powers agreed not to build any standard
===Somalia===
▲Morocco had from 1912 – 1935 one of the largest {{RailGauge|600mm}} gauge networks in Africa with total length of more than 1700 kilometres. After the treaty of Algeciras where the representatives of Great Powers agreed not to build any standard gauge railway in Morocco until the standard gauge [[Tangier]] - [[Kingdom of Fez|Fez]] Railway being completed, the French had begun to build military {{RailGauge|600mm}} gauge lines in their [[French Morocco|part of Morocco]].
Railway transport in [[Somalia]] consisted of the erstwhile [[Mogadishu-Villabruzzi Railway]] and secondary tracks. The system was built during the 1910s by the authorities in [[Italian Somaliland]]. Its [[track gauge]] was {{RailGauge|950mm}}, a gauge favoured by the Italians in their colonies in the [[Horn of Africa]] and [[North Africa]]. The railway was dismantled in the 1940s by the British during their military occupation of Italian Somaliland, and was subsequently never rehabilitated.
[[
Originally standard gauge, the railways of the then [[Cape Colony]] [[Gauge conversion|changed]] to narrow gauge {{RailGauge|3ft6in}}, sometimes known as ''[[Cape gauge]]'', for cost-cutting reasons. However, with the development of a strong economy, with heavy export coal and iron ore traffic, and electrification of most main lines, South Africa, like Queensland, operates several narrow gauge trains that outdo most standard and broad gauge trains across the world. In fact, in 1989 the Sishen-Saldanha line set a world record by carrying the biggest train in history, 7.2 km long containing 660 wagons pulled by 15 locomotives and weighing {{convert|71232|t|LT ST|lk=on}}, though most trains on this line routinely run with lower tonnage.<ref>{{cite web| last = UCW| title = Quality Manual| publisher = UCW Partnership| year = 2006| url = http://www.ucw.co.za/QualityManual/UCWQualityManualSep06.pdf| format = PDF| accessdate =31 October 2006 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20061003132556/http://www.ucw.co.za/QualityManual/UCWQualityManualSep06.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 3 October 2006}}</ref> However, the [[Gautrain]] between [[Johannesburg]] and [[Pretoria]] operates on standard gauge, and thus is not capable of using any of the country's existing rail network.▼
The [[Avontuur Railway]]
▲== South Africa ==
▲[[Image:Kalk Bay Station 3.jpg|thumb|left|A modern commuter service near [[Cape Town]]]]
▲[[Image:RovosRailAtPretoria.jpg|thumb|right|[[South African Class 19D 4-8-2|Class 19D]] locomotive at [[Pretoria]]]]
▲{{Main|Rail transport in South Africa}}
▲Originally standard gauge, the railways of the then [[Cape Colony]] [[Gauge conversion|changed]] to narrow gauge {{RailGauge|3ft6in}}, sometimes known as ''[[Cape gauge]]'', for cost-cutting reasons. However, with the development of a strong economy, with heavy export coal and iron ore traffic, and electrification of most main lines, South Africa, like Queensland, operates several narrow gauge trains that outdo most standard and broad gauge trains across the world. In fact, in 1989 the Sishen-Saldanha line set a world record by carrying the biggest train in history, 7.2 km long containing 660 wagons pulled by 15 locomotives and weighing {{convert|71232|t|LT ST|lk=on}}, though most trains on this line routinely run with lower tonnage.<ref>{{cite web
▲The [[Avontuur Railway]] operates between [[Port Elizabeth]] and Avontuur in South Africa. It is the longest {{RailGauge|610mm}} gauge route in the world{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} at a length of 285 km. It is operated by the South African railway company [[Spoornet]]. The line is commonly known as the [[Apple Express]].<ref>[http://www.apple-express.co.za/ Apple Express]</ref>
▲{{See also|Two foot gauge railways in South Africa}}
▲== Tunisia ==
{{Main|Tunisian Railways}}
[[File:Loc SNCFT 040DM267 R01.jpg|thumb|right|Train bound for Bir Bou Rekba in Nabeul station, on the [[metre gauge]] ''Cap Bon'' line]]
In Tunisia, the railway network in the central and southern part of the country is a [[metre gauge]] network, including the main lines [[Tunis]]-[[Sfax]] (''Ligne de la Côte'') and Tunis-[[Kasserine]], and also the local ''Ligne du Cap Bon'' from [[Bir Bou Rekba]] to [[Nabeul]].
== Gauge conversion ==
In the 2020s, several narrow gauge railways are being replaced with new [[standard gauge]] ones. This is also consistent with long term plans for the [[AIHSRN]].
== References ==
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Narrow gauge railways in Africa]]
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