Editing Transport in Sierra Leone

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[[Image:Sierra Leone Road.jpg|thumb|350px|The road from [[Kenema]] to [[Kailahun District]].]]
There are a number of systems of '''transport in Sierra Leone''', a country in [[West Africa]], which possess road, rail, air and water infrastructure, including a network of highways and several airports.

Just like Great Britain, Sierra Leone used to drive on the left hand side of the road. In March 1971, Sierra Leone had a change-over and started to drive on the right hand side of the road. <ref> [https://scholar.sun.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10019.1/100399/vanderwesthuizen_driving_2016.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Thesis by Bruwer Lourens van der Westhuizen, at Stellenbosch University, pages 25 and 31] published December 2016, retrieved February 2022 </ref> By law, it is forbidden to import and register cars with the steering wheel on the right hand side in Sierra Leone, but the in 2012 the government was failing at enforcing this law. <ref> [https://awokonewspaper.sl/blame-slrta-for-right-hand-drive-vehicles/ Blame SLRTA for Right Hand Drive Vehicles] Akowo Newspaper, published 20th of August 2013, retrieved 9th of February 2022 </ref>

== Railways ==
{{main|Rail transport in Sierra Leone}}
[[File:Railways in Sierra Leone.svg|350px|thumb|Railway network of Sierra Leone<br>{{RailGauge|1067mm}} gauge - purple <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;{{RailGauge|762mm}} gauge - pink - closed.]]
There are 84 kilometres (52&nbsp;mi) of [[railway]] in [[Sierra Leone]], of which all is of a narrow  {{RailGauge|1067mm|disp=1}} gauge.  Sierra Leone no longer has any common carrier railroads, as the {{RailGauge|762mm|disp=1}} gauge [[Sierra Leone Government Railway]] from [[Freetown]] through [[Bo, Sierra Leone|Bo]] to [[Kenema]] and [[Daru, Sierra Leone|Daru]] with a branch to [[Makeni]] closed in 1974.  The country does not share rail links with adjacent countries, [[Transport in Guinea|Guinea]] and [[Transport in Liberia|Liberia]].

The existing railroad is private and operated from 1933 until 1975 by the Sierra Leone Development Company's [[iron ore]] mines at [[Marampa]], 66&nbsp;km (41&nbsp;mi) east-northeast of the port at [[Pepel]].  It is now used on a limited basis.  Tecsbacos, the mining company, is reported in 2006 to have problems of theft and obstruction in operating the railway.<ref>[http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_20051158.shtml VP Berewa must save Tecsbaco in Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 

In May 2008, an extension of this line to [[Tonkolili]] with conversion to {{RailGauge|sg|lk=on}} (standard gauge) upgrade to carry {{convert|25000|t|LT ST|0|abbr=on|lk=on}} per year was under consideration.<ref>[http://railwaysafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2679&Itemid=35 Railways Africa – SIERRA LEONE RAIL PROJECT<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
<ref>[http://allafrica.com/stories/200805191261.html allAfrica.com: Sierra Leone: African Minerals to Boost Bunbuna Hydro (Page 1 of 1)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>  Further details of the project were announced in October 2010; [[Dawnus]] planned to construct 50&nbsp;km of new line, and refurbish 67&nbsp;km of existing line.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2010/11/sierra-leone-railway/|access-date=2010-11-09|title=SIERRA LEONE RAILWAY | publisher = Railways Africa}}</ref>

Talks started with Russia in 2006 to seek help to rebuild railways in the country, although choice of gauge is problematic, since the original {{RailGauge|762mm|disp=1}} gauge is obsolete.

== Walking ==
Because of widespread poverty, high petroleum prices and a large portion of the population residing in small communities, walking is often the preferred method of transportation in Sierra Leone.

== Highways ==
There are 11,700 kilometres (7,270 &nbsp;mi) of [[highway]] in Sierra Leone, of which 936&nbsp;km (582&nbsp;mi) are paved.  When construction and reconstruction of roads and bridges in the country is complete, the [[Trans–West African Coastal Highway]] will cross Sierra Leone, connecting it to [[Conakry]] ([[Guinea]]), [[Monrovia]] ([[Liberia]]), and 11 other nations of the [[Economic Community of West African States]] (ECOWAS).

== Water ==
There are 800&nbsp;km (497&nbsp;mi) of [[waterway]]s in Sierra Leone, of which 600&nbsp;km (373&nbsp;mi) are navigable year-round.

Major ports of Sierra Leone include: [[Bonthe]], [[Freetown]] and [[Pepel]].  [[Queen Elizabeth II Quay]] in Freetown represents the country's only deep water port facility capable of berthing large-hulled cargo or military vessels.  The country possesses a merchant marine of two cargo ships exceeding 1,000 [[Gross Tonnage|GT]].

== Airports ==
There are ten [[List of airports in Sierra Leone|airports in Sierra Leone]], of which one has paved [[runway]]s (the length of which exceeds {{convert|3047|m|ft|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}). Of the remaining airports, all of which having unpaved runways, seven have runways of lengths between {{convert|914|and|1523|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}; the remaining two having runways of shorter length. There are two [[heliport]]s in the country.

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{CIA World Factbook}}

==External links==
* [https://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/sierrale.pdf UN Map of Sierra Leone]

{{Sierra Leone topics}}
{{Africa in topic|Transport in}}

[[Category:Transport in Sierra Leone| ]]