Mediterranean–Niger Railway

Mediterranean–Niger Railway
Technical
Line length	275 km (171 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Maximum incline	Adhesion 35  % Rack rail  %
Route map File:BSicon BOOT.svg File:BSicon KBHFa.svg 0 Ghazaouet (Nemours) 387 ft File:BSicon HST.svg Djeman Salera File:BSicon LSTR.svg File:BSicon ABZg+l.svg from Algiers File:BSicon GRENZE.svg Algeria / Morocco File:BSicon ABZl+l.svg File:BSicon KBHFeq.svg Oujda 1804 ft File:BSicon KRWgr.svg to Fès File:BSicon LSTR.svg File:BSicon BHF.svg Tendrara 4507 ft File:BSicon DST.svg Oued Oumm-el-Oudah 4101 ft File:BSicon DST.svg 288.9 0 P.K. 0 4248 ft File:BSicon KRW+l.svg File:BSicon KRWgr.svg File:BSicon KBHFxe.svg File:BSicon STR.svg 21 Bou-Arfa (CMO) 4163 ft File:BSicon exKRWl.svg File:BSicon eKRWg+r.svg File:BSicon BHF.svg Tamlelt (MN) 3674 ft File:BSicon LSTR.svg File:BSicon LBHF.svg 111 Kerzaz 1148 ft File:BSicon LSTR.svg File:BSicon GRZq.svg File:BSicon exSTR.svg Morocco / Algeria File:BSicon exBHF.svg 275 0 Colomb-Béchar 2454 ft File:BSicon exKRW+l.svg File:BSicon exKRWgr.svg File:BSicon exKBHFe.svg File:BSicon exSTR.svg 21 Kénaza File:BSicon exBHF.svg 15 Béchar-I? 2454 ft File:BSicon exKRWgl.svg File:BSicon exKRW+r.svg 70 File:BSicon exSTR.svg File:BSicon exKBHFe.svg Ksi-Kou File:BSicon exKBHFe.svg 90 Abadla 1932 ft

The Mediterranean–Niger Railway (MN) (French: Chemins de Fer de la Méditerranée au Niger) was a railway in Western Africa.

The Mediterranean–Niger Railway was built between the coal mining region near Bou Arfa in the east of Morocco and the Algerian rail system at Oujda, completed as a standard gauge route between Oran and Oujda in 1922, while Fes was reached in 1934.

In 1940–1941, construction was begun on the Algerian segment of the Mediterranean–Niger Railway as part of the Trans-Saharan Railway. The line made a connection with the Moroccan segment, which had been completed in 1931, at Bou Arfa and continued into Algeria to connect with the 1,055 mm (3 ft 5+1⁄2 in) narrow gauge line Oran–Colomb-Béchar built in 1910.

In 1963, Morocco nationalized its railroad system under the name of Moroccan Railways (Office National des Chemins de Fer du Maroc, ONCF). MN was liquidated. The part of MN from the southern border to Colomb-Béchar was closed. Colomb-Béchar was still reached by the narrow gauge line.

Sources

• Bejui, Dominique and Pascal: Exploits et fantasmes transsahariens : 80 ans de traversées sahariennes abouties ou rêvées en auto, en camion, en train et en avion. Chanac: La Regordane, 1994.
• Guide Michelin, 1956.
• Lartilleux: Géographie des chemins de fer français. vol. 3. Chaix, 1949.
• Pottier, René: Le Transsaharien - Liaison d'Empire. Sorlot, 1941.
• Georges Bouchet: Les voies ferrées de pénétration sahariennes hors Algérie : Le Transsaharien
• List of sources in Mali
• Jean-Claude Faur, "La mise en valeur ferroviaire de l'AOF (1880-1939)" (Universite de Paris: Thèse de doctorat, Faculté de Lettres, 1969)
• Le Transsaharrien