The massive £53m train line in Africa linking island to mainland over 780 miles | World | News

Spanning two African countries is a huge railway network in the west coast of the continent.

The Abidjan-Niger Railway (RAN) cost $66.2million (£53million) to build, and construction began in 1904.

French army officers proposed railways in its colony of Côte d’Ivoire numerous times.

In 1889, the officials undertook a geographic and ethnographic survey, which led to Abidjan being chosen as the starting point for a line heading northwards.

The project completed its first stations – Abgoville and Dimbokro – in 1907 and 1908. The railway then reached Bouaké in 1912.

Construction was then suspended because of the First World War.

Work continued in 1920, with authorities aiming to extend the line into Upper Volta, present day Burkina Faso.

Rails reached Katiola in 1924, then Ferkessedougou in 1929.

The infrastruture went as far as Bobo-Dioulasso in 1934. But then progress was paused in the north, because work needed to be done on the southern section (Abidjan to Agboville).

All work was again suspended during the Second World War. Afterwards, the line reached Ouagadougou in 1954.

Decades later, an extension to Kaya was finished in 1985. This was to reach manganese deposits in Tambao.

After initially being operated by government officials, the system was privatised.

As of 2024, there is reportedly no longer any passenger traffic. There used to be a passenger train service for civilians that ran three times a week.

The journey was said to have taken between 36 and 48 hours. Quite a lengthy ride.

As regards the future, the Ivorian and Burkinabe governments have drawn up various plans to update the Abidjan-Niger Railway.

In 2013, a proposal was announced to to renovate the railway. In 2014, bosses were working towards a plan to extend the line from Ouagadougou to Tambao.

In 2017, there was a signed agreement to renovate the line.