Mediterranean–Niger Railway

The Mediterranean-Niger-Railway (MN)[1] (French: Chemins de Fer de la Méditerranée au Niger) was a railway in Western Africa.

Mediterranean–Niger Railway
Technical
Line length275 km (171 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Maximum inclineAdhesion 35  %
Rack rail  %
Route map

0
Ghazaouet (Nemours)
387 ft
Djeman Salera
from Algiers
Algeria / Morocco
Oujda
1804 ft
to Fès
Tendrara
4507 ft
Oued Oumm-el-Oudah
4101 ft
288.9
0
P.K. 0
4248 ft
21
Bou-Arfa (CMO)
4163 ft
Tamlelt (MN)
3674 ft
111
Kerzaz
1148 ft
Morocco / Algeria
275
0
Colomb-Béchar
2454 ft
21
Kénaza
15
Béchar-I?
2454 ft
70
Ksi-Kou
90
Abadla
1932 ft

The Mediterranean-Niger Railway was built between the coal mining region near Bou Arfa in the east of Morocco and the Algerian rail system at Oujda, completed as a standard gauge route between Oran and Oujda in 1922, while Fes was reached in 1934.[2]

In 1940/41, construction was begun on the Algerian segment of the Mediterranean-Niger-Railway as part of the Trans-Saharan Railway. The line made a connection with the Moroccan segment, which had been completed in 1931, at Bou Arfa and continued into Algeria to connect with the 1,055 mm (3 ft 5+12 in) narrow gauge line Oran - Colomb-Béchar built in 1910.[3]

In 1963, Morocco nationalized its railroad system under the name of Moroccan Railways (Office National des Chemins de Fer du Maroc ONCF). MN was liquidated.[4] The part of MN from the Southern border to Colomb-Béchar was closed.[5] Colomb-Béchar was still reached by the narrow gauge line.

References

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  • Bejui, Dominique and Pascal: Exploits et fantasmes transsahariens : 80 ans de traversées sahariennes abouties ou rêvées en auto, en camion, en train et en avion. Chanac: La Regordane, 1994. ISBN 2-906984-19-1
  • Guide Michelin, 1956.
  • Lartilleux: Géographie des chemins de fer français. vol. 3. Chaix, 1949.
  • Pottier, René: Le Transsaharien - Liaison d'Empire. Sorlot, 1941.
  • Georges Bouchet: Les voies ferrées de pénétration sahariennes hors Algérie : Le Transsaharien
  • List of sources in Mali
  • Jean-Claude Faur, "La mise en valeur ferroviaire de l'AOF (1880-1939)" (Universite de Paris: Thèse de doctorat, Faculté de Lettres, 1969)
  • Le Transsaharrien
  1. ^ English name following Strack.
  2. ^ "Railroads of North Africa".
  3. ^ see: Faur; Pottier
  4. ^ "France - Globe24h". Archived from the original on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
  5. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-01-16. Retrieved 2010-05-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)