Africa Railways - Chemins de fer de Guinée diesel train (Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nürnberg, 1955)
One of three diesel trains ordered from MAN in 1955 for the Conakry–Kankan line in Guinea. For their first few years, to the late sixties, they were operated as first class (also called upper class) service three times a week in each direction, in addition to a slower second class, locomotive-hauled train
Poor maintenance of the railway resulted in the downgrading of the MAN trains to second class. By 1984, the service was reduced to twice weekly - the only activity over the entire 662 km long line (metre gauge) which gradually disappeared in the tropical forest. Afterwards, a few freight trains operated over the line, often less than once a month
The last train leaving Kankan, on 02 May 1995, was a freight train with the last serviceable locomotive coupled to the last five useable freight wagons. It carried cotton seeds to the Port of Conakry, taking thirty days and three derailments to cover the distance
It was last reported that under three different transport ministers, three former presidents of the railway company and down to government officials in the tax administration, tracks, sleepers, rolling stock and even railway bridges were all dismantled and sold abroad between 2000 and 2004 for a total profit of more than seven million dollars
Africa Railways - Chemins de fer de Guinée diesel train (Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nürnberg, 1955)
One of three diesel trains ordered from MAN in 1955 for the Conakry–Kankan line in Guinea. For their first few years, to the late sixties, they were operated as first class (also called upper class) service three times a week in each direction, in addition to a slower second class, locomotive-hauled train
Poor maintenance of the railway resulted in the downgrading of the MAN trains to second class. By 1984, the service was reduced to twice weekly - the only activity over the entire 662 km long line (metre gauge) which gradually disappeared in the tropical forest. Afterwards, a few freight trains operated over the line, often less than once a month
The last train leaving Kankan, on 02 May 1995, was a freight train with the last serviceable locomotive coupled to the last five useable freight wagons. It carried cotton seeds to the Port of Conakry, taking thirty days and three derailments to cover the distance
It was last reported that under three different transport ministers, three former presidents of the railway company and down to government officials in the tax administration, tracks, sleepers, rolling stock and even railway bridges were all dismantled and sold abroad between 2000 and 2004 for a total profit of more than seven million dollars