Rail transport in Cameroon
Rail transport in Cameroon has been around since the German colonial era. In Cameroon, a railway system exists in meter gauge. It has no connection to neighboring states.
German colonial period
The topography of Cameroon was unfavorable for railway construction: Mountains and a dense forest belt in the hinterland of the main port, Douala, Cameroon prevented long to start the railway age. That was the first railroad that went into operation in Cameroon, a light railway in the 600 mm gauge, which was moved by the private West African plantation society Victoria ( WAPV ). It led from Zwingenberger Hof bei Soppo, close to the former governor's mansion Buea to the small harbor Victoria (now Limbe ) and also offered to passengers. The network was further expanded. A similar train operated the Cameroon Developement Corporation ( CDC) just east of WAPV network. The latter was in operation until the 1970s. The information needed to gauge vary between 600 mm and 610 mm.
The second train that originated in Cameroon, 160 km long railway line Bonaberi - Nkongsamba, also Northern Railway was called.
Third rail project was the railway line Douala - Mbalmayo, the central railway.
The latter two tracks were done in meters track and set an appropriate standard for future railway buildings in Cameroon.
French colonial period
The majority of Cameroon was betrayed after 1918 as a mandate to France. This " trusteeship " non-animated the French colonial power to greater investment in railways in the country. They first put only the operability of the constructed under German rule routes restored. The Northern Railway and the Midland Railway were uniformly assumed in the operation of the Chemins de fer de Cameroun (CFC), but were still two separate power supplies. The construction of the rail project Douala Mbalmayo was continued, however, diverted the route after Yaoundé, which was achieved in 1927. Thither the seat of the colonial administration was moved. Closing the gap after Mbalmayo was initially through a railway with a track width of 600 mm and field of web material Otele. Only in 1933 the route was converted to meter gauge. A structural connection between the central railway and the northern railway came in 1955 via a 12 km long route and a 1850 m long bridge over the Wouri about.
The switch to diesel operation was stepped up since 1950, as all coal had to be imported from South Africa and there were irregularities in the project delivery time and again.
Independent Cameroon
The independent since 1960 Cameroon first built a western branching off from the northern runway 29 km long distance to Kumba, which went into operation in 1969. The largest project was the extension of the central railway over 622 km from Yaounde after Ngaundere. The total distance was commissioned in 1974. The maximum expansion of the route network was 1120 km. Between 1975 and 1983 a part of the central railway in the lower section of the track was partially realigned. In contrast, the route Nkongsamba was adjusted. Part of the rails was removed.
The global wave of privatization began with the railroad in Cameroon in 1996. The concession for railway operations received on 19 January 1999, Groupe Bolloré for 30 years. It operates the web under the name Camrail, also called Cameroon Railways, both for passengers and for freight. Passenger traffic consists (2011) of six daily trains across the country: two connections between Yaoundé and Douala, and a night train between Yaounde and Ngaundere with sleepers. There will be two classes of cars.
Curiosities
The Ekona plantation had a monorail, in which the cars were indeed moved by muscle power, but rested the load of the truck and its cargo by rail.