Editing Transport in Gabon (section)

== Rail transport ==
[[File:Railways in Gabon.svg|thumb]]
Until the 1970s, Gabon had no permanent railroads, though temporary Decauville rail tracks were in use in the logging industry as early as 1913 (Gray and Ngolet, 1999, pp.102).<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/183396|jstor = 183396|title = Lambaréné, Okoumé and the Transformation of Labor along the Middle Ogooué (Gabon), 1870-1945|last1 = Gray|first1 = Christopher|last2 = Ngolet|first2 = François|journal = The Journal of African History|year = 1999|volume = 40|issue = 1|pages = 87–107|doi = 10.1017/S0021853798007361}}</ref><ref>Olivier Hymas: [https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1473718/1/Olivier%20Hymas%20%20Thesis%20corrections%2008-12-15.pdf L’Okoumé, fils du manioc : Post‐logging in remote rural forest areas of Gabon and its long‐term impacts on development and the environment.] 2015.</ref><ref>Cermak, F.I. and Lloyd, A.H. (1962); [http://www.fao.org/docrep/c3200e/c3200e0a.htm ''Supplement ‐ Timber transportation in the tropics.''] Unasylva ([Online) 16. Accessed on 8 December 2024.</ref> 

In 2003, the railway began the process of installing a satellite based telecommunications system.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cellular.co.za/news_2003/100503-gabon_telecom_selects_hughes_net.htm |title=Railway telecom system 2003 |access-date=2006-07-17 |archive-date=2016-04-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424225326/http://www.cellular.co.za/news_2003/100503-gabon_telecom_selects_hughes_net.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> As of 2004, Gabon State Railways totalled 814&nbsp;km of standard-gauge track.

''total:'' 814&nbsp;km ([[Trans-Gabon Railway|Gabon State Railways]] or OCTRA)<br />''standard gauge:'' 814&nbsp;km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)

=== Maps ===
* [https://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/gabon.pdf UN Map - shows line to Franceville]
* [http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/publ/opendoc.pdf?tbl=PUBL&id=441688290 UNHCR map - does not show line to Franceville]
* [http://www.travelportal.info/go_frames.php?unid=10174&linkid=9179&newlanguage=english TravelPortal map - shows major rivers]
* [http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/fullMaps_Af.nsf/luFullMap/BC0EF176D6BCADE385256C0800474100/$File/wfp_safr_rails0702.pdf?OpenElement UNJLC Rail map of Southern Africa - does not show line to Franceville]

=== Cities served by rail ===
{{Main|Railway stations in Gabon}}

; Existing
* [[Libreville]] - capital
* [[Owendo]] - port
* [[Sahoué]] - port
* [[Franceville]] - [[railhead]]
* [[Ndjolé]]
* [[Lopé]]
* [[Booué]] - likely junction for branchline to [[Makokou]]
* [[Lastoursville]]
* [[Moanda, Gabon|Moanda]]
* [[Ntoum]] - proposed junction for iron ore traffic to [[Santa Clara, Gabon|Santa Clara]]
* [[Kango]]
* [[Four-Place]]
* [[Mounana]] - ?

;Proposed
* [[Makokou]] - iron ore
* [[Santa Clara, Gabon|Cape Santa Clara]] - proposed [[list of deep water ports|deep water port]] for [[Makokou]] iron ore.
* [[Bélinga]] - possible iron ore mine.

=== 2006 ===
* China signs a deal for an iron ore mine with associated rail and port upgrades from [[Belinga]] to [[Santa Clara, Gabon|Santa Clara]] [http://chinaconfidential.blogspot.com/2006/06/high-iron-ore-prices-push-china-to_12.html]
[http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-162298942.html]

=== 2007 ===
* New rail line from Belinga will go 450&nbsp;km all the way to the coast, rather than to be a branch off an existing line.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3276107 |title=Business Report - China given monopoly to work Gabon's untapped iron ore resources<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2008-01-01 |archive-date=2007-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202174825/http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3276107 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Pan-African issues<ref>[http://www.tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=1301 Railway Corridors in Africa to be Connected<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717104251/http://www.tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=1301 |date=2011-07-17 }}</ref>