Railway · Gabon

How much did the Trans-Gabon Railway cost to build?

The Trans-Gabon Railway (Transgabonais) is a single-track, standard-gauge line of about 648 km from Owendo near Libreville across equatorial rainforest to Franceville, built to carry manganese, timber and passengers. It was financed mainly from Gabon's 1970s oil revenues with French, West German and later British and Italian capital, with civil works beginning in October 1974 (the project was flagged off on 30 December 1973); Owendo-Ndjolé opened in 1978, Ndjolé-Booué in 1983 and the last section to Franceville was inaugurated on 30 December 1986. Agence France-Presse reports it cost USD 1.65 billion, far over early estimates.