| Benguela Railway |
Article Index for Benguela |
Website Links For Railway |
Information About ™Benguela Railway |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BENGUELA RAILWAY | |
| rail transport in africa | |
| railway companies | |
| companies of angola | |
| rail transport in angola | |
| three foot six inch gauge railways | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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Through Zambia's connections to Beira and Dar Es Salaam on the Indian Ocean , the Benguela railway is part of a transcontinental railroad. It also connects indirectly to the railroad system of South Africa . In 1899, the Portuguese government initiated the construction of the railroad to access the hinterland and the mineral wealth of the Belgian Congo . In 1902, Sir Robert Williams, a friend of Cecil Rhodes , took over the construction and completed the connection to Luau at the border to the Congo in 1929 . The line proved very successful and profitable. After independence, the Angolan Civil War brought operations to a halt, and most of the infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. Recently (2005) talks have been intitiated between Angola and Zambia to restore operations. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |