Transport in Gabon

= Railways =

The only railway in the nation is the Trans-Gabon Railway.

"total:"649 km (Gabon State Railways or OCTRA)
"standard gauge:"649 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)

Railway links with adjacent states

* Equatorial Guinea - no - no railways
* Cameroon - no - break of gauge 1435mm/1000mm
* Republic of the Congo - no - break of gauge 1435mm/1067mm

Maps

* [http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/gabon.pdf UN Map - shows line to Franceville]
* [http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/publ/opendoc.pdf?tbl=PUBL&id=441688290 UNHCR map - does not show line to Franceville]
* [http://www.travelportal.info/go_frames.php?unid=10174&linkid=9179&newlanguage=english TravelPortal map - shows major rivers]
* [http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/fullMaps_Af.nsf/luFullMap/BC0EF176D6BCADE385256C0800474100/$File/wfp_safr_rails0702.pdf?OpenElement UNJLC Rail map of Southern Africa - does not show line to Franceville]

Cities served by rail

Existing

* Libreville - capital
* Owendo - port
* Sahoué - port
* Franceville - railhead
* Ndjolé
* Lopé
* Booué - likely junction for branchline to Makokou
* Lastoursville
* Moanda
* Ntoum - proposed junction for iron ore traffic to Santa Clara
* Kango
* Four-Place
* Mounana - ?

Proposed

* Makokou - iron ore
* Cape Santa Clara - proposed deep water port for Makokou iron ore.
* Bélinga - possible iron ore mine.

Other

* [http://www.cellular.co.za/news_2003/100503-gabon_telecom_selects_hughes_net.htm Railway telecom system 2003]

2007

* New rail line from Belinga will go 450km all the way to the coast, rather than to be a branch off an existing line. [ [http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3276107 Business Report - China given monopoly to work Gabon's untapped iron ore resources ] ]
* Pan Afican issues [ [http://www.tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=1301 Railway Corridors in Africa to be Connected ] ]

2006

* China signs a deal for an iron ore mine with assocatiated rail and port upgrades from Belinga to Santa Clara [http://chinaconfidential.blogspot.com/2006/06/high-iron-ore-prices-push-china-to_12.html] [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-162298942.html]

Highways

"total:"7,670 km
"paved:"629 km (including 30 km of expressways)
"unpaved:"7,041 km (1996 est.)

Roads in Gabon link most areas of the country, and many of the main roads are of a reasonable standard. However, remoter areas along the coast and in the east are often not connected to the road network. Major roads are denoted national routes and numbered, with a prefix "N" (sometimes "RN"):

*N1 road: Libreville – Kougouleu – Bifoun – Lambaréné – Mouila – Ndendé – Tchibanga - (Congo-Brazzaville)
*N2 road: Bifoun – Alémbe – Viate – Mitzic – Bibasse – Oyem – Bitam – Éboro – (Cameroon)
*N3 road: Alembe – Kazamabika – Lastoursville – Moanda – Franceville
*N4 road: Viate – Ekonlong – Makokou – Mékambo
*N5 road: Kougouleu – Bibasse
*N6 road: Mayumba – Tchibanga – Ndendé – Lebamba - Koulamoutou – Lastoursville

Waterways

1,600 km perennially navigable

Pipelines

crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km

Seaports and harbours

Cap Lopez, Kango, Lambarene (river port), Libreville, Mayumba, Owendo (railhead), Port-Gentil

Merchant marine

"total:"1 ship (with a volume of GRT|1,000|first=yes or over) totaling GRT|2,419/DWT|3,205|metric|first=yes
"ships by type:"
cargo ship 1 (1999 est.)

Airports

61 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

"total:"11
"over 3,047 m:"1
"2,438 to 3,047 m:"1
"1,524 to 2,437 m:"8
"914 to 1,523 m:"1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

"total:"50
"1,524 to 2,437 m:"9
"914 to 1,523 m:"16
"under 914 m:"25 (1999 est.)

See also

* COMILOG Cableway
* Gabon

References