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Video duration: 5 min
Africa: in the heart of the Sahara, the longest train in the world
Transporting iron ore from Mauritania on rails built in 1967, the longest train in the world, two kilometers long, travels across the Sahara. Tourists flock to see this extraordinary convoy.
(France 2)
Transporting iron ore from Mauritania on rails built in 1967, the longest train in the world, two kilometers long, travels across the Sahara. Tourists flock to see this extraordinary convoy.
In the middle of the Sahara, an extraordinary convoy cuts through the immensity of sand. This train is not only one of the heaviest in the world, but also one of the longest. It measures 2.5 kilometers. It transports iron ore, extracted from northern Mauritania. A few courageous passengers are also part of the trip, because the journey lasts 18 hours, and the conditions are harsh. “If I look in this direction, I don’t see the end of the train. It’s something that is unimaginable in France”remarks a Frenchman, who came to admire the spectacle in one of the stations served.
The only sign of civilization for 700 kilometers
The railway line was put into service by the French in 1967, and it is still in service. The tourists do not board the train, but just behind it, in a small convoy of barely two wagons. They travel 500 km on the same rails, with added comfort. In the vast desert, the railway line is the only sign of civilization for 700 kilometers around.
