Transport in Gabon

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (May 2017)

Modes of

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).^[1]

In 2003, the railway began the process of installing a satellite based telecommunications system.^[2] As of 2004, Gabon State Railways totalled 814 km of standard-gauge track.

total: 814 km (Gabon State Railways or OCTRA)
standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)

Maps

• UN Map - shows line to Franceville
• UNHCR map - does not show line to Franceville
• TravelPortal map - shows major rivers
• UNJLC Rail map of Southern Africa - does not show line to Franceville

Cities served by rail

Existing

• Libreville - capital
• Owendo - port
• Sahoué - port
• Franceville - railhead
• Ndjolé
• Lopé
• Booué - likely junction for branchline to Makokou
• Lastoursville
• Moanda
• Ntoum - proposed junction for iron ore traffic to Santa Clara
• Kango
• Four-Place
• Mounana - ?

Proposed

• Makokou - iron ore
• deep water port for Makokou
  iron ore.
• Bélinga
  - possible iron ore mine.

• China signs a deal for an iron ore mine with associated rail and port upgrades from Belinga to Santa Clara [1]

[2]

2007

• New rail line from Belinga will go 450 km all the way to the coast, rather than to be a branch off an existing line.^[3]
• Pan-African issues^[4]

Road transport

total: 7,670 km
paved: 629 km (including 30 km of expressways)
unpaved: 7,041 km (1996 est.)

Roads in Gabon link most areas of the country, and many of the main roads are of a reasonable standard. However, remoter areas along the coast and in the east are often not connected to the road network. Major roads are denoted national routes and numbered, with a prefix "N" (sometimes "RN"):

• N1 road:
  Republic of Congo
  )
• N2 road: Bifoun – Alembe – Viate – Mitzic – Bibasse – Oyem – Bitam – Éboro – (Cameroon)
• N3 road: Alembe – Kazamabika – Lastoursville – Moanda – Franceville
• N4 road: Viate – Ekonlong – Makokou – Mékambo
• N5 road: Kougouleu – Bibasse
• N6 road:
  Mayumba – Tchibanga – Ndendé – Lébamba - Koulamoutou – Lastoursville
• N7 road: Makokou – Bakwaka – Okondja – Lékori - Akiéni – Ngouoni – Franceville

Water transport

Merchant marine

As of 2002, there was one merchant marine vessel, with a gross tonnage of 2,419/3,205 tonnes deadweight (DWT).

Waterways

Gabon has 1,600 km of perennially navigable waterways, including 310 km on the Ogooué River.

Air transport

There are three international airports:

• COMILOG Cableway

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook.

CIA

.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Transport in Gabon.