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thatboi
Traveller
3 comments

Posted 1 month ago

Hi guys, I was wondering if it was possible to cross Africa by train in general. You've seen people driving through Africa, cycling through Africa, mountain biking through Africa, heck - even running through Africa. But have you ever seen anyone crossing Africa by public transport?

As starting station I'd think Eemshaven (the first stretch doesn't matter much anyway, but it's the most northern train station of the Netherlands so that's cool) and ending in either Cape Town or Bredasdorp (I don't think there are even running trains from Cape Town to Bredasdorp but it has a train station so yeah).

In theory it's probably possible, I've tried to plan out some very rough route and it's there, it worked out. But it also uses coaches (fine for me, but the more train the better of course, also way more comfortable), and ferries (I mean, you can go through the Middle East but I don't know if that's safe since Israel-Gaza conflict) and from Carthago to Cairo also a plane, just couldn't get around that part, it's tricky.

If you guys would plan such a route, how would you plan it? Please note it has to be at least somewhat doable and also a nice route - I don't think I'll ever do it but if I feel crazy enough I might.

Quick side note: my grandparents live in South Africa and I'm pretty anti-flying, mostly because the gigantic amounts of CO2 emissions that come from it. I don't know if public transport in Africa over the same distance (even longer since it's not a direct route) is much greener though, it's also where the energy comes from. But nonetheless, if that ever works out it'll be so sick!

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thatboi
Traveller
3 comments

replied 1 month ago

I hope I get an email when someone replies, it'll be hard to keep up with checking this forum everytime haha

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nltrainer
Traveller
1406 comments

replied 1 month ago

Dat laatste weet ik niet (meer)_sorry, DK/forgotten how this by now rather wacky and unmaintained forum does.
By TRAIN this is NOT possible-railways in AFRika are quite sparse, unconnected and most are from some seaport into the interior-mostly if there are mines/other commercial places to transport goods. Pax are just a 2nd thought then.
There is an excellent site that lists it all and is very well maintained: seat61.com. It has info on how to go overland from GB=UK to most counrties, so it will ehlp you out. Strange that dr google (assuming you landed on this site by that) did not show it!
Next best: some forums that keep on working for railfans: GB: railforums.co.uk, DE: drehscheibe-online.de
GReetings from BKK here-tropical THailand, and in fact during my various travels I have been to these 2 stations. I do not think it is BRedasdorp, but have forgotten the name: most southern end to where suburban trains (dangerous!) from Kaapstad go to. that seat61 probably also has that
BTW: I have flown to there, from NL once. Frankly: once you see how old/rotten/dilapidated most BUSes=the favourite means of trsp across AFRica are and how much they fume/exhaust, I think it will even be less CO2 by sitting in a plane!
There is also a site like railwaysafrica, but it mostly aims at commercial freight.
AND-untill some 10/12 yrs ago, there was a worldwide simplified printed timetable for all main lines-just the basics. It was knwon as Thomas Cook Worldwide. They do not print it anymore, but they still do with the same for all of Europe. IF you can lay your hands on it, an old 2nd hand one will give a broad overview that still holds.
AND the most logical overland route will take you via Egypt-Sudan + South Sudan: not safe at all for now. Plus the cost of all the visa you need-for about all AFR countries you pass by, is in total much higher as a plane ticket cost. Unless you maybe have a ZA passpt?
In general-IF the Q is clear/easy to answer, the response on this forum comes in a day. If that is not so, its probably too difficult or vague

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thatboi
Traveller
3 comments

replied 4 weeks ago

NLTrainer, thx for the reply. No sadly I don't have a South African passport, my father does though :P I'll write everything you said down in some sorta checklist so I can find it back easier.

Let me put in a doc for the very rough planning I made, just in case anyone's interested. It's in Dutch, but you can always pull a google lens lol.

By the way, the stretch numbers are for sure not accurate. (and do not represent days) I think it'd take at least 2.5 times longer.

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thatboi
Traveller
3 comments

replied 4 weeks ago

The weird line through Türkye is supposed to be a flight. I thought there were not any direct flights (closest through Ìstanbul), but later I found out there were, lol. So yeah, think as if it goes from Tunisia directly through Egypt

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MisterSteve
Traveller
1094 comments

replied 4 weeks ago

It's never been possible by train.

In the late 19th century the British started to build a Cape to Cairo railway network (some of which was ships) but that required the cooperation of the Belgians in their colony (now DR Congo) and they failed to build some key parts. After the first world war the British took over the German colonies in east Africa and their rail networks offered some alternative to the Belgian section. But soon afterwards aviation took over everyone's attention and by the early 1930s the important traffic could fly from London to all the British colonies. The northern end of the railway was actually Port Said, which was served by British mailboats of P&O Navigation to Brindisi, which were also replaced by the planes.

Since the europeans gave up the colonies in Africa most of the Belgian work has gone derelict, as has all of the Sudanese network, Egyptians train only run as far south as Aswan. Zambia now concentrates on east west links and almost entirely freight only - these links to east African ports being rebuilt/ newly built with money from China - the new way of colonising countries. There are no passenger trains in Zimbabwe except occasional private tour to Victoria Falls, and few in Botswana. South African railways seem to be in crisis after a reorganisation of Spoornet with few scheduled long distance trains (although Rovos Rail operate some as luxury tourist trains).

Other routes never existed, Libya had almost no track and none survived beyond the mid 1960's. There had been a plan (or suggestion...) for a joint Italian-Fench line from Tripoli to French controlled west Africa but nothing came of it. Algeria and Moroco have railways but they never went far inland, only along the coastal areas.

Your thought that getting through the middle east might be difficult because of the current Israeli actions misses the point that Lebanon's limited railways were all gone over 30 years ago, and you seem to missed more recent events in Syria!