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Railways
Africa's network of railways was started in 1852 in Alexandria, Egypt and continued
until the 1960's. Most of the main lines were completed by the 1920's. They
were hugely expensive to build, both in terms of lives lost and financial
cost. Most of them were government owned and run.
WHY THE RAILWAY NETWORK WAS BUILT
The reasons for embarking on these great railway projects were varied:
TRADE
Abbas I, the Egyptian ruler, masterminded the
first railway on the continent in the mid 1850's. He was driven by a desire
to bring Egypt in line with Europe (the first train ran in Britain in 1825).
He also wanted to use the trains to stimulate trade.
Emperor Menelik of Ethiopia had
similar motivation. While in Egypt the railways carried goods which were
already being manufactured and exported. In other parts of Africa the
railways created new demands and so stimulated trade where there had been
done. This was particularly the case with the Ugandan Railway running
from Mombasa (on the coast of modern Kenya) to Lake Victoria (modern Uganda).
The train could cut transport costs by 90-95%. Many people who earned
their livelihoods as carriers were put out of work because of it.
WAR
Railways were built so that Europeans could better fight opponents to colonialism.
In Sudan the railway from Wadi Halfa to Khartoum was part of Kitchener's subjugation
of the region. Later a line was extended from Atbera eastwards to Port Sudan,
initially for the purpose of transporting troops and supplied during the First
World War.
CONTROL
The railway network provided Europeans in Sub-Saharan Africa with a means of
controlling the areas where they had colonies, linking one part of a region
to another. This made it possible to impose the same sets of laws and regulations
over vast areas.
The construction of the line from
Lagos to Kano made the idea of a Nigerian state, embracing two very different
regions, a possibility.
MINING
A
large number of lines were built simply to transport minerals from mines to
ports, with little benefit to communities on the way. In the Belgian Congo, copper
from Katanga was taken to the port of Lobito in Angola on the Benguela railway.
In Liberia a railway was built from the iron producing region of Nimba country
to the port in Buchanan.
RESISTANCE AND REVOLT
Although some African rulers like Emperor Menelik
and Abbas I were in favour of trains, others were suspicious and disapproving.
They could see that a railway not only changed the geographical landscape but
also the landscape of power and trade. The Damal of Cayor, Lat Dior Diop, in
Senegal was adamant in his opposition.
"As
long as I live, be assured, I shall oppose, with all my might the construction
of this railway."
Damal of Cayor, Lat Dior Diop, to French Governor Servatius.
The
ruled, as well as their African rulers, were hostile. The Ugandan Railway, running
from Mombasa (coast of modern Kenya) to Lake Victoria (modern Uganda) was built
with labour from India, since Africans refused to do the back breaking work
of preparing the ground and maneuvering sleepers and track into position. Once
the railways were built the people who worked on them were in a strategic position,
and could have huge impact on the economy if they withheld their labour.
Strike Week
"This has been a very exciting week. What a pity we haven't daily papers in Freetown.
By this time it's rather stale to talk of the splendid fight which Railway and
Public Works Men have put up for their war bonuses (given to Indian and European
mechanics)...
If R. Barker, the blundering Acting General Manager and locomotive Superintendent
of the Railways did think once that Sierra Leoneans could only bark without
biting, then he is shockingly disillusioned. It is grand the way the fellows
have stuck together."
Sierra Leone Weekly News, 19 July 1919, 'Rambling Talks' by the Rambler.
In Southern and East Africa segregation of the
staff and their facilities caused friction.
 Listen
to Kenya's last steam train driver talk about segregation on the railways
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| TIMETABLE FOR COMPLETION
OF MAJOR TRACKS |
| NORTH AFRICA |
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| country | starting point | finish | date of completion |
| Egypt |
Alexandria |
Cairo |
1856 |
| Sudan | Wadi Halfa | Khartoum | 1898 |
| Morocco |
Casablanca |
Rabat |
1923 |
| Tunisia | Tunis | | 1919 |
| Algeria |
Algiers |
|
1919 |
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| EAST
AFRICA |
|
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|
| country |
starting
point |
finish |
date
of completion |
| Djibouti/Ethiopia |
Djibouit |
Addis |
1917 |
| Kenya/Uganda |
Mombasa |
Lake
Victoria |
1901 |
| Tanganyika |
Tanga |
Usambara
hills |
1905 |
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| WEST
AFRICA |
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| country |
starting
point |
finish |
date
of completion |
| Sierra
Leone |
Freetown |
|
1909 |
| Nigeria |
Lagos |
Kano |
1912 |
| Ghana |
Sekondi |
Kumasi |
1903 |
| Congo |
Brazzaville |
Pointe Noire |
1932 |
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| SOUTHERN AFRICA |
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| country |
starting
point |
finish |
date
of completion |
| South
Africa/ Zimbabwe |
Capetown |
Bulawayo |
1897 |
| Congo/Angola |
Copper belt |
Benguela |
1931 |
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