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The Niles 21
Sudanese railways, once a vital
link, are now in disrepair.
> Departure: -
> Arrival: -
> Distance: 5,978km
A ticket
to no-
where
The Sudanese railways, among the longest
in Africa, once linked populations and ushered
Sudan into the modern age. These days, many
have been reduced to scrap metal.
By Hadiya Elias
In its heyday, Sudan’s railway measured about 4,588km, with four
main train lines crossing the country. But a sharp decline began
in the 1990s, and has continued ever since.
Today, only the northern line to Atbarah carries passengers while the
others are largely derelict, sometimes merely lines of scrap metal tossed
on roadsides, and there is scant evidence of a return to the golden years.
A legacy of British rule in Sudan, the railway cost around half a
million British pounds (US$757,500), according to the English writer
Mark Estrag in his book ‘From Cape to Cairo’. Lord Kitchener,
the British campaign’s leader, ordered the railways to be built mainly
to “transport supplies and food to the army when it passes through
Sudan”, Estrag wrote.
The railways were built by Egyptian farmers, Sudanese people,
and 200 prisoners who were released especially to help the construction,
as well as a number of soldiers. Key to the railway development
was a Canadian engineer, Sir Édouard Percy Cranwill Girouard,
who helped establish the Canadian Pacific Railways before joining
the British army.
Opened on the last day of the 19th century, the railway line
initially spanned some 1,068km between Halfa in the north of Sudan
and Khartoum-Bahri, a link used mainly for military purposes.
The line was expanded to the east of the country in 1905 and was
connected to Port Sudan on the Red Sea. In 1909 the railways were
developed to reach towards Al Jazirah, linking to the largest agricultural
project in the country, and thus boosting the economy. In 1912,
tracks reached into the White Nile in western Sudan.
By the time Sudan gained self-rule in 1954, its railway network
had expanded to 3,104km, according to Mustafa Mohamed Khojali
in an article written in English and published in Sudan Studies
Magazine in July 2010. The post-independence national government
increased this network “to consolidate national unity and strengthen
economic development”, he wrote. It built three railways: a short
one from Sennar to Damazin and two longer ones from Arabeida
to Nyala in Darfur and from Babanousa to Wau in Ghazal Sea,
reaching a total length of 4,588km.
Journalist Qurashi Awad praised the railways for “connecting all
parts of Sudan with each other”, underlining that they had a big impact
on public life as “they developed the countryside and contributed
to establishing cultural clubs, cooperatives, and schools”.
Salah Khalifa, a Sudan Railway Cooperation (SRC) worker
for more than 20 years, underlined the social impact of the railway.
“Uniting Sudan and linking all the Sudanese tribes with their cultures”
was the railways’ most important achievement, said Khalifa, who
comes from the north. He added that the railways connected him
to people from Babanousa, the east and the centre. “I was introduced
to many cultures.”
Trains offered citizens a cheap and secure means of transport, a
step up from travelling by road on the back of lorries. In recent years,
the roads have been paved and the railways have decayed so people
tend to travel by cars and coaches.
The railway’s decline follows years of negligence, poor management,
and political problems.
Its deterioration began in the late 1970s. Khalifa believes the
government of Jaafar Nimeiry (1969-1985) was to blame for the
downturn. “Workers’ strikes were a major concern for the government
and, thus, the body they belonged to had to be finished.”
Successive governments followed the same strategy, he said,
igniting an era of confrontation between politicians and railways
workers’ unions. Thousands of experienced workers and engineers
were sacked during this time.
Meanwhile, economic boycotts suddenly meant that spare parts
were in short supply. The Sudan Railways Corporation was hurt by a
lack of regular maintenance and the US sanctions, as more than 80
percent of the railway’s machines were made in America.
The restoration of the railway is often discussed by the government
and the Sudan Railways Corporation but their words have yet
to be turned into action. Recent attempts include the government’s
plan to improve the link between Khartoum and the neighbouring
states, a scheme unveiled by officials in October. But as yet no details
have been provided.
Abdullah Ali Masar, chairman of the Transport Committee in the
National Council has said that projects to develop the transport sector
will soon reach neighbouring countries with a plan “to establish two
railway lines to Ethiopia and Chad”.
Many view the renewal of the Sudanese railways as a key priority
for the nation. “Rebuilding the Sudanese railways is connected to
rebuilding Sudan as a country,” journalist Awad said.
He added that reviving the railways will require “developing technical
education, training staff in specialised schools and, most important of
all, changing the country’s external policies through cooperating with
countries in the field of developing railways to import spare parts”.
Khalifa agreed with him, saying the network needs “full maintenance
of trains and the neglected railways...Experts, engineers, and
fast trains should be imported.”
In light of Sudan’s deep economic malaise and a lack of political
action, however, the railways look set to stand derelict for some time.
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