Rail transport in Sierra Leone

Railway network of Sierra Leone - Tonkolili extension not shown

  1067mm gauge tracks (operational)

  762 mm gauge tracks (closed in 1974)

Freetown Cotton Tree station in 1915

There are 192 kilometres of railway in Sierra Leone, all of which is private and of 1067mm gauge.

Network

The existing railway from the port of Pepel has been refurbished and extended by Leone Rock Metal Group to its Tonkolili mine. This 192km line of 1067mm gauge began operation in May 2024 with 10 new AC traction diesel locomotives built by CRRC Ziyang. By 2026, the mining area's monthly transport volume exceeded 1 million tons.

The 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge Sierra Leone Government Railway from Freetown through Bo to Kenema and Daru with a branch to Makeni closed in 1975. The country does not share rail links with adjacent countries, Guinea and Liberia.

See also

• Railway stations in Sierra Leone
• Transport in Sierra Leone

References

Bibliography

• Ashby, Helen (2020). The Sierra Leone Government Railway: from creation to preservation. Narrow Gauge Album No. 4. Chippenham, Wilts, UK: Mainline & Maritime. ISBN 9781900340755.
• Beale, Philip; Mitchell, Vic (2004). Sierra Leone Narrow Gauge. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines series. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 9781904474289.