Congo–Ocean Railway
The Congo–Ocean Railway (COR; French: Chemin de fer Congo-Océan, CFCO) links the Atlantic port of Pointe-Noire (now in the Republic of Congo) with Brazzaville, a distance of 502 kilometres (312 mi). It bypasses the rapids on the lower Congo River; from Brazzaville, river boats are able to ascend the Congo River and its major tributaries, including the Oubangui River to Bangui.
| Congo-Ocean Railway line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Locale | Pointe Noire, Bouenza, Kouilou, Niari, Pool, Lékoumou | ||
| Termini |
| ||
| Stations | 49 | ||
| Service | |||
| System | Non-Electrified | ||
| Services | Via Dolisie | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 1934 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 512 km (318 mi) | ||
| Number of tracks | 1 | ||
| Character | At-grade | ||
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | ||
| Electrification | No | ||
| Operating speed | 40 kilometres per hour (25 mph) | ||
| |||
As of 2012 the railroad was regularly operating freight and passenger services along the length of the line despite the poor state of the track. A luxury passenger train, La Gazelle, using Korean-manufactured passenger cars, was introduced in 2012; as of 2014 it operated between Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville every other day, and was scheduled to take 14–16 hours to complete the 502 kilometres (312 mi) journey.