African Union of Railways

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The African Union of Railways in an organisation under the auspices of the new African Union dealing with railways. It is similar to the UIC.

[edit] Overview

Africa's railways sadly are disjointed, disconnected, and generally in a state of disrepair, and often do not serve their countries well. The AUR hopes to rectify things.

[edit] Standards

[edit] Gauge

The AUR sees that conversion to a common gauge is too difficult and expensive due to the gauge muddle, but based on reports from the World Bank, does see the following gauges as preferred in the following regions:

North - 1435mm
South - 1067mm
East - 1067mm (but Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia are 1000mm).
West - 1067mm
Other - 950mm Eritrea
Scattered mining railways - 1435mm.

However, conspicuous by its absence, is the possibility of dual gauge, Variable gauge axles, Bogie exchange and even triple gauge.

Triple gauge supports 1000mm, 1067mm, 1435mm.
The wide separation or the outer pairs of rails (435mm and 368mm) provides space for railclips and suits turnout construction.

[edit] Couplings

Couplings in use include European style buffers and chains, Meatchopper of various kinds, Janney, SA3. The American Janney is the preferred coupling. Match wagons can overcome incompatibilities at the price of extra weight.

[edit] Brakes

Westinghouse air brakes and Vacuum brakes (or no continuous brakes at all) are usually fitted. Dual brakes or piped only can overcome incompatibilities. Electronically Controlled Pneumatic brakes are starting to be fitted on heavy duty trains for higher performance, and a choice has to be made between two ECP systems. Air brakes are to be preferred to Vacuum brakes because of their greater power.

[edit] Electrification

Most railways is Africa are diesel operated, but electrification where it exists it mostly conforms to the modern standard of 25 kV AC, with some obsolete systems using the older 3kVDC.

[edit] Loading gauge

Loading gauge vary considerably, and through trains would be forced to use the most restrictive loading gauge along its route.

[edit] Axle loads

Axle loads vary considerable, dependings on the strength of the track, especially the weight of the rails which are generally too light for modern traffic.

[edit] Train lengths and crossing loop lengths

Crossing loops should be as long as the longest likely train, considered globally.

[edit] Namibia

Namibian railways has recently done more than talk about a link with Angola, but has built nearly 300km of such a line as at 2007. Namibia has been using Tubular Modular Track which is not gauge convertible.

[edit] Nigeria

These gauge plans may be upset by Nigeria's albeit glacial programme to convert its 1067mm gauge lines to 1435mm which would seed a standard gauge network in adjacent countries, especially those landlocked countries with no railways at all.

[edit] Libya

Libya started in 2007 building a completely new 1435mm railway system, albeit slowly. A link across the Sahara to Central Africa, probably Nigeria, would also spur the growth of 1435mm connections, which make use of continuous access to the Middle East, Europe, and even China in the foreseeable future.

[edit] Tanzania Kenya Uganda

Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda are odd men in the 1067mm South & East zone as they use 1000mm gauge. Should they stay as they are, convert to 1067mm, convert to 1435mm, or convert to an interim Dual Gauge or Triple Gauge? Should isolated Ethiopia be added to this group?

[edit] Iron ore railways

Heavy duty iron ore railways in Africa carry so much more traffic than ordinary railways that they almost always adopt standard gauge so as to make use of proven off the shelf technology. New such lines are looming in Cameroon and Senegal. Gabon is already 1435mm. The Transguinean Railways is proposed to be standard gauge.

[edit] Conferences

[1] - a conference held in Brazzaville on 10-14 April 2006.
[2] 35th General Assembly.

[edit] Timeline

Main article: Timeline of African Union of Railways

[edit] 2007

Railway Corridors in Continent to be Connected - The UAR is set to work out modalities on how to link all railway corridors in the continent. ^[1]