Transport in the Republic of the Congo

Transport in the Republic of the Congo includes land, air and water transportation. The country's rail system was built by forced laborers during the 1930s and largely remains in operation. There are also over 1,000 km of paved roads and two major international airports (Maya-Maya Airport and Pointe Noire Airport). The country also has a large port on the Atlantic Ocean at Pointe-Noire and others along the Congo River at Brazzaville and Impfondo.

Railways

Railway network of Republic of Congo

total: 795 km (includes 285 km private track) - Congo-Ocean Railway connects Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.
narrow gauge: 795 km 1.067-m gauge (1995 est.)

Timeline

2003

• Concessioning^[1]

2006

• Rail service suspended by floods and oil shortages^[2]

2007

• 12 April 2007 According to Engineering News, a South Korean consortium has agreed to build a new 800 km railway in the Congo-Brazzaville Republic in return for timber concessions. They would build a railway from Brazzaville to Ouesso in the Sangha region in the north-west of the country. A two-year feasibility study would take place before signing a final agreement with the government and starting construction work on the railway.^[3] See CMKC Group.

Highways

total: 12,800 km
paved: 1,242 km
unpaved: 11,558 km (1996 est.)

National Highways Network:

• N1 Brazzaville - Kinkala - Dolisie - Pointe Noire
• N2 Brazzaville - Owando - Ouésso
• N3 Dolisie - Border with Gabon

Waterways

the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; other rivers are used for local traffic only

Pipelines

crude oil 25 km

Ports and harbours

Atlantic Ocean

• Pointe-Noire

Congo River

• Brazzaville
• Impfondo

Other rivers

• Oyo

Sangha River

• Ouesso

Air

The Republic of the Congo has two international airports (Maya-Maya Airport in Brazzaville and Pointe Noire Airport. As of June 2014 no less than six airlines operated between the two airports and both airports had direct flights to Addis Ababa, Abidjan, Casablanca, Cotonou, Douala, Libreville, Johannesburg, Paris. Maya-Maya Airport was served by a larger number of airlines than Pointe Noire and had direct flights to various other destinations in Africa and the Middle East.

Airports - with paved runways

total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 32
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 10 (1999 est.)

See also

• Republic of the Congo

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook website https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html.