Dakar–Niger Railway
The Dakar–Niger Railway connects Dakar, (Senegal) to Koulikoro, (Mali). The name refers to the Niger River, not the Republic of Niger. It serves many cities in Senegal (including Thiès) and Mali (including Kayes, Kita, Kati, Bamako). The line covers a course of 1,287 km of which 641 km lies in Mali. The line is managed by the Transrail consortium.
As of 2013 passenger services in Mali were only being offered three days between Bamako and Kayes via Kati and Diamou. There were no international passenger trains in operation in 2014 but passenger services in Senegal existed between Dakar and Thiès.
History
Construction
Construction work on the Dakar–Niger Railway began at the end of the 19th century under the French general Gallieni, commander of French Sudan.
The railroad connected the Niger River with the port of Dakar, allowing the transport of raw materials across the globe. The line was completed at the beginning of the 20th century, the Kayes-Koulikoro section being inaugurated in 1904, but the final section of line did not open until 1924.
