Benguela railway

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The Benguela railway is operated by the Caminho de Ferro de Benguela (CFB) that connects the Atlantic port of Lobito, Angola, to the eastern bordertown of Luau.

Contents 1 Operation 2 History 3 Main Stations 4 Accident 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] Operation

The Benguela railroad has a length of 1344 km in Angola and provides access to the inner part of the country. Importantly it is linked past Luau to the railroad systems of Katanga province, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. Through Zambia's connections to Beira and Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean, the Benguela railway is part of a transcontinental railroad. It also connects indirectly to the railroad system of South Africa. In its heydays the Benguela railway was the shortest way to transport mineral riches from the Congo to Europe.

[edit] History

In 1899, the Portuguese government initiated the construction of the railroad to access the hinterland and the mineral wealth of the Belgian Congo. Upon the death of Cecil Rhodes in 1902, Sir Robert Williams, a friend of Rhodes, took over the construction and completed the connection to Luau at the border to the Congo in 1929. The line proved very successful and profitable for the colonial powers. After independence, the Angolan Civil War brought operations to a halt, and most of the infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. Recently (2005), talks have been initiated between Angola and Zambia to restore operations. China has provided $300 to $500 million in financial aid to help the reconstruction of the war-damaged railway. [1]

Current operations apparently run between Lobito and Cubal.

[edit] Main Stations

• Lobito
• Benguela
• Cubal
• Caala
• Huambo
• Kuito
• Luau, border to Democratic Republic of Congo

[edit] Accident

In the Tolunda rail accident on September 22, 1994 damaged brakes caused a train to plunge into a canyon, killing 300.

[edit] See also

• Congo Railroad Company

[edit] External links

• Early History
• BBC report
• 2006 update on construction
• Unofficial timetable of passenger trains (Fahrplancenter)