Editing Transport in Senegal

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
[[File:Bus Dakar.jpg|thumb|Various buses in [[Dakar]]]]
This article describes the system of '''transport in Senegal''', both public and private. This system comprises roads (both paved and unpaved), rail transport, water transport, and air transportation.

==Roads==
{{further ill|List of roads in Senegal|fr|Liste des routes du Sénégal}}
[[File:BaobabDakar.JPG|thumb|right|Route de Corniche, Dakar, 2016]]
[[File:Une charrette transportant de l'eau.jpg|thumb|A horse-drawn cart carrying water near [[Thiès]] ]]
The system of roads in Senegal is extensive by [[West Africa]]n standards, with paved roads reaching each corner of the country and all major towns.

===International highways===
Dakar is the endpoint of three routes in the [[Trans-African Highway network]]. These are as follows:
*[[Cairo-Dakar Highway]] which crosses the edge of the [[Sahara]]
*[[Dakar-Ndjamena Highway]] which links the countries of the [[Sahel]], also called the Trans-Sahelian Highway
*[[Dakar-Lagos Highway]] running along the West African coast and called by the [[Economic Community of West African States]] (ECOWAS) the [[Trans–West African Coastal Highway]] (though ECOWAS considers this route to start in [[Nouakchott]], [[Mauritania]]).
 
Senegal's road network links closely with those of [[the Gambia]], since the shortest route between south-western districts on the one hand and west-central and north-western districts on the other is through the Gambia.

===Motorways===
The country currently has two ''autoroutes'': {{Interlanguage link|Autoroute A1 (Senegal)|lt=Autoroute A1|fr|Autoroute A1 (Sénégal)}} and {{Interlanguage link|Autoroute A2 (Senegal)|lt=Autoroute A2|fr|Autoroute A2 (Sénégal)}}.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Alfers |first=Duncan |date=2023-09-27 |title=EAIF PROVIDES EUR 46 MILLION TO BRING STRATEGIC ROAD, A1 MOTORWAY, “AUTOROUTE DE L’AVENIR”, TO FINANCIAL CLOSE |url=https://www.eaif.com/eaif-provides-eur-46-million-to-bring-strategic-road-a1-motorway-autoroute-de-lavenir-to-financial-close/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Réalisation : L'Autoroute Ila Touba |url=https://www.sococim.com/lautoroute-ila-touba-0 |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=www.sococim.com}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=AUTOROUTE DAKAR – SAINT LOUIS |url=https://pfoafrica.com/projets/autoroute-dakar-saint-louis/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=PFO Africa |language=fr-FR}}</ref> A third ''autoroute'', [[Autoroute A3 (Senegal)|Autoroute A3]], is currently being planned.<ref name=":2" />

Autoroute A1 runs from [[Dakar]] to [[M'Bour]] via [[Blaise Diagne International Airport]].<ref name=":2" /> The A1 was built via a [[Public–private partnership|public-private partnership]] between [[France|French]] [[civil engineering]] firm [[Eiffage]] (which has a majority ownership in its [[toll road]] portion), and the Senegalese government.<ref name=":0" />

Autoroute A2 runs from Dakar to [[Touba]], via [[Thiès]].<ref name=":2" />

The planned Autoroute A3 will run from Dakar to [[Saint-Louis, Senegal|Saint-Louis]], and will span about {{Convert|200|km}} in length.<ref name=":2" />

===National roads===
The most important roads in Senegal are prefixed "N" and numbered from 1 to 7:

*[[N1 road (Senegal)|N1]]: [[Dakar]] – [[Mbour]] - [[Fatick]] - [[Kaolack]] – [[Tambacounda]] – [[Kidira]] – ([[Mali]])
*[[N2 road (Senegal)|N2]]: [[Pout, Senegal|Pout]] – [[Thiès]] – [[Louga]] - [[Saint-Louis, Senegal|St-Louis]] – [[Richard Toll]] – [[Ouro Sogui]] – [[Kidira]] - ([[Mali]])
*[[N3 road (Senegal)|N3]]: [[Thiès]] – [[Diourbel]] – [[Touba, Senegal|Touba]] – [[Linguère]] – [[Ouro Sogui]]
*[[N4 road (Senegal)|N4]]:  [[Kaolack]] – ([[Trans-Gambia Highway]]) – [[Bignona]] – [[Ziguinchor]] – ([[Guinea-Bissau]])
*[[N5 road (Senegal)|N5]]: [[Bignona]] – [[Diouloulou]] – ([[Gambia]]) - [[Sokone]] - [[Kaolack]]
*[[N6 road (Senegal)|N6]]: [[Tambacounda]] – [[Vélingara]] - [[Kolda]] – [[Ziguinchor]] – ([[Guinea-Bissau]])
*[[N7 road (Senegal)|N7]]: [[Ouro Sogui]] - [[Tambacounda]] – [[Niokolo-Koba]] – [[Kédougou]] – [[Guinea]]

===Regional roads===
*[[R20 road (Senegal)|R20]], {{Interlanguage link|R21 road (Senegal)|lt=R21|fr|Route régionale 21 (Sénégal)}}, [[R22 road (Senegal)|R22]]
*[[R30 road (Senegal)|R30]], [[R31 road (Senegal)|R31]], {{Interlanguage link|R32 road (Senegal)|lt=R32|fr|Route régionale 32 (Sénégal)}}
*[[R60 road (Senegal)|R60]], [[R61 road (Senegal)|R61]]
*[[R70 road (Senegal)|R70]]

===Major incidents===
* [[Kaffrine bus crash|Kaffrine bus crash (2023)]]

== Railways ==
{{main|Rail transport in Senegal}}
{{Further|Railway stations in Senegal}}
[[File:Train Express Régional de Dakar.jpg|thumb|A pair of [[Train Express Regional Dakar-AIBD]] trains]]
According to the [[The World Factbook|CIA World Factbook]], Senegal had a total of {{Convert|906|km}} of railways as of 2017, of which {{Convert|713|km}} was operational, and all of which were {{RailGauge|1000mm}} gauge.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Senegal - The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/senegal/#transportation |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=[[The World Factbook]] |publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]]}}</ref> Since then, the first phase of the [[Train Express Regional Dakar-AIBD]] (TER Dakar) has begun operations in December 2021, adding {{Convert|36|km}} to Senegal's railway network.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2021-06-27 |title=Le réseau TER Dakar |url=https://www.terdakar.sn/le_reseau_ter_dakar/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=TER Dakar |language=fr}}</ref> There are plans to add another {{Convert|19|km}} to the TER Dakar, to connect it to [[Blaise Diagne International Airport]].<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Phase II |url=https://sentersa.sn/phase-2/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Senter |language=fr-FR}}</ref> Unlike the rest of Senegal's network, the TER Dakar uses [[Standard-gauge railway|standard gauge]].

Other rail lines in Senegal include the partially-operational [[Dakar–Saint-Louis railway]], which is used for freight, and the Dakar–Niger Railway. The [[Petit train de banlieue]] provided commuter rail service until 2016, and has since been replaced with the TER Dakar.

=== Maps ===
* [https://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/senegal.pdf UN Map]
* [http://pagesperso-orange.fr/jacqver/texte/traindakarbamako.htm]

== Ground transport ==
[[File:Senegal Car rapide.jpg|right|225px|thumb|A ''Car Rapide'' in Senegal, a common mode of transportation.]]
 
There were an estimated {{Convert|4,271|km}} of [[paved road]]s and {{Convert|10,305|km}} of [[Gravel road|unpaved road]]s as of 1996.

Dakar has a [[bus rapid transit]] (BRT) network: [[Sunu BRT]], which currently has two routes in operation, with two more planned.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Sunu BRT - Le Bus Rapid Transit entre Dakar à Guédiawaye |url=https://www.sunubrt.sn/ |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=Sunu BRT - Bus Rapid Transit Dakar |language=fr-FR}}</ref>

[[Taxicab|Taxi]]s (black-yellow or blue-yellow in color) are cheap, numerous and available everywhere in [[Dakar]].<ref name="ccg" /> It is customary to negotiate the fare since most [[Taximeter|meters]] installed in the taxis are broken or missing.<ref name="ccg" /> For travel outside Dakar, [[public transportation]] is available but often unreliable and uncomfortable.<ref name="ccg" />

== Waterways ==
{{Convert|897|km}} total; {{Convert|785|km}} on the [[Senegal river]], and {{Convert|112|km}} on the [[Saloum]] River.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

== Ports and harbours ==
* [[Dakar]] - [[railhead]]
* [[Kaolack]], [[Matam, Senegal|Matam]], [[Podor]], [[Richard Toll]], [[Saint-Louis, Senegal|Saint-Louis]], [[Ziguinchor]]

[[Dakar]] has one of the largest deep-water [[seaport]]s along the [[West Africa]]n coast.<ref name=ccg/> Its deep-draft structure and {{convert|640|ft|m|adj=mid|-wide}} access channel allows round-the-clock access to the [[port]].<ref name=ccg/> Its current [[infrastructure]] includes [[tanker (ship)|tanker]] vessel loading and unloading terminals, a [[Shipping container|container]] terminal with a storage capacity of 3000 20-foot-equivalent units, a cereals and [[fishing port]], a dedicated [[phosphate]] terminal and a privately run ship repair facility.<ref name=ccg/> The port's location at the extreme western point of [[Africa]], at the crossroad of the major sea-lanes linking [[Europe]] to [[South America]], makes it a natural port of call for [[shipping companies]].<ref name=ccg/> Total [[freight]] traffic averages 10 million metric tons.<ref name=ccg/>

== Airports ==
[[File:Air Senegal International B737 6V-AHU.jpg|thumb|''Air Senegal International'' is Senegal's flag carrier.|400px]]
{{See also|List of airports in Senegal}}
Per the [[The World Factbook|CIA World Factbook]], Senegal has 20 [[airport]]s as of 2025.<ref name=":3" /> [[Blaise Diagne International Airport]] in [[Diass]] became the [[Airline hub|hub]] of the sub-region.<ref name=ccg>[http://www.buyusa.gov/westafrica/en/senegal_ccg.pdf Senegal Country Commercial Guide 2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607104655/http://www.buyusa.gov/westafrica/en/senegal_ccg.pdf |date=2010-06-07 }}. [[U.S. Commercial Service]] (2008). {{PD-notice}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.aibd.sn/| title = Aéroport International Blaise Diagne}}</ref> Dakar is linked to numerous African cities by air, and daily flights go to [[Europe]].<ref name=ccg/> [[Delta Air Lines]] flies daily to/from Atlanta/Dakar/Johannesburg.<ref name=ccg/> [[South African Airways]] flies daily to [[New York City|New York]] and [[Washington, D.C.]] from [[Johannesburg]] via Dakar.<ref name=ccg/> The old [[Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport]] in [[Dakar]] is now only exists as a [[cargo]] hub.

== See also ==
* [[Senegal]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/senegal/ CIA Fact Book for SG]

== External links ==

{{Senegal topics}}
{{Africa in topic|Transport in}}
{{CIA World Factbook}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport In Senegal}}
[[Category:Transport in Senegal| ]]
{{Motorways in Africa}}