Transport in Cameroon

Railways

Railways in Cameroon are operated by Camrail, a subsidiary of French investment group Bolloré. As of 1995, the country had an estimated 1,104 km of 1.000 m gauge track. In 2007, the traffic on the line was estimated to be 1MT per year freight, including 1 million passengers per year.http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/37/2/36735844.pdf]

Railway links with adjacent countries

* Nigeria - none, because of break-of-gauge 1000 mm/1067 mm
* Chad - none; the country has no railways, although there have been some proposals.
* Gabon - none, because of break-of-gauge 1000 mm/1435 mm
* Republic of the Congo - none, because of break-of-gauge 1000 mm/1067 mm
* Equatorial Guinea - no - no railways

Timeline

2008

* iron ore line from Mbalam to port of Lolabé [ [http://africanpress.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/cameroon-to-start-exporting-iron-ore-in-2011/ Cameroon to start exporting iron ore in 2011 « African Press International (API) ] ]

2007

* branch from Edéa to Kribi ( about 130km ) for Aluminium export. [http://allafrica.com/stories/200707110899.html] This branch would almost link the existing railways with the Sundance Iron Railway, albeit on different gauges.
* [http://www.sundanceresources.com.au/projects_cameroon.asp Sundance Resources iron ore project]

2006

* 150 km/h CONTAINER TRAINS FOR AFRICA - At the inauguration of his second term, President Ismael Omer Guelle of Djibouti appealed for a 6,000 km landbridge rail line linking his country's Gulf of Tadjourah to Cameroon on the Gulf of Guinea. Estimated to cost $US6 billion, the line would run through the Sudan and the Central Africa Republic. Neighbouring landlocked countries such as southern Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi would all benefit from improved facilities for import and export traffic, as well as Chad. Pointing out that the trade development, peace and economy of the African continent could be considerably enhanced, Guelle suggested that the project forms part of the investment programme proposed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the G8 meeting in Scotland."It will take only 48 hours to transport goods between the Red Sea and the Atlantic Ocean using a double-stack container ship carrier express train at an average speed of 150 km/h".

* NIGERIA WANTS LINK WITH CAMEROON - Stormy talks have characterised attempts to implement the October 2002 decision by the International Court of Justice at The Hague, declaring Cameroon owner of the prized oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula. Nigeria has now demanded a rail link with Cameroon. [ [http://www.railwaysafrica.com/newsafrican/nigeriaranews.html] Dead link|date=July 2008]

Maps

* [http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/cameroon.pdf UNJLC Map]
* [http://imagesignal.comsec.com.au/asxdata/20071129/pdf/00789550.pdf Map of Mbalam-Kribi Railway]

Towns served by rail

Existing

* Douala - port
* Edéa - river crossing Sanaga River
* Mésondo
* Eséka

* Otélé - junction for Mbalmayo
* Yaoundé - national capital
* Makak - located in Center Province

* Nkongsamba - railhead in northwest
* Kumba - branch terminus in west

* Nanga Eboko
* Belabo
* Ngaoundal
* Ngaoundéré -
* Mbanga - junction in west
* Ngoumen

* Otélé - junction for Mbalmayo
** Mbalmayo - river port branch railhead in east

Proposed

* There are plans to extend from Mbalmayo to Bangui in the Central African Republic.

There are also plans for an iron ore railway, which however might be isolated from existing railways. The distance from the mine to the nearest likely port is about 500km as the crow flies. A connection to the nearest Camrail line at Mbalmayo on the Nyong River would be 350km long. Because of the heavy tonnages to be carried, this railway is likely to be standard gauge. The railway is being designed with Quantm software.

* Kribi - possible port for iron ore, in addition to existing port for oil from Chad.
* Grand Batanga - possible port for iron ore.
* Lolabe - possible port
* Mbalam - iron ore mines

Closed

Highways

"Total highways:" 34,300 km
"Paved:" 4,288 km
"Unpaved:" 30,012 km (1995 est.)

Cameroon lies at a key point in the Trans-African Highway network, with three routes crossing its territory:
* Dakar-N'Djamena Highway, connecting just over the Cameroon border with the N'Djamena-Djibouti Highway
* Lagos-Mombasa Highway
* Tripoli-Cape Town HighwayCameroon's central location in the network means that efforts to close the gaps which exist in the network across Central Africa rely on the Cameroon's participation in maintaining the network, and the network has the potential to have a profound influence on Cameroon's regional trade. It is likely for instance that within a decade a great deal of trade between West Africa and Southern Africa will be moving on the network through Yaoundé.

Prices of petrol rose steadily in 2007 and 2008, leading to a transport union strike in Douala on 25 February 2008. The strike quickly escalated into violent protests and spread to other major cities. The uprising finally subsided on 29 February. [Nkemngu, Martin A. (11 March 2008). " [http://www.cameroon-tribune.net/article.php?lang=Fr&oled=j11032008&idart=9281&olarch= Facts and Figures of the Tragic Protests] ", "Cameroon Tribune". Accessed 12 March 2008.]

Waterways

2,090 km; of decreasing importance. Includes the Benue river.

Seaports and harbors

* Douala - main port, railhead, and second largest city.
* Bonaberi - railhead to northwest
* Garoua
* Kribi - oil pipeline from Chad
** Kribi South - proposed iron ore export port, about 40 km south of Kribi.
* Tiko

Airports

50 (1999 est.)

* List of airports in Cameroon

Airports - with paved runways

"total:"11
"over 3,047 m:"2
"2,438 to 3,047 m:"4
"1,524 to 2,437 m:"3
"914 to 1,523 m:"1
"under 914 m:"1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

"total:"39
"1,524 to 2,437 m:"8
"914 to 1,523 m:"20
"under 914 m:"11 (1999 est.)

References

* [http://www.sundanceresources.com.au/documents/SDL_ScopingStudyWithReport_12-7-06_000.pdf Sundance Resources Ltd report]

See also

* Camrail
* Cameroon
* [http://www.otal.com/cameroon/index.htm Transport News]