Early railroad schemes – 19th century A 1905 book describes the history of a German railroad syndicate's exploration of Chad: In 1885, the new German colony of
Kamerun came into being. A number of influential Germans determined that the colony’s economic potential could be realized only through the construction of a railroad. They established a Cameroon railroad syndicate in 1900, which in 1902 obtained a concession from the German government to build a line that would open the colony’s interior to trade. The syndicate sponsored expeditions in 1902–3 and 1904 to survey the projected route.
20th century Several plans or proposals to build railways during the French colonial period (
French Equatorial Africa) in Chad, and to connect Chad to other African railway networks (Cameroon, Nigeria, Oubangui/Central African Republic). Early proposals include a line extending from the Cameroon rail system at
Douala into Chad in the 1930s. In the 1950s, a line through Chad from
Port Sudan to Nigeria was proposed but opposed by Chad governmental organisations. In 1958, plans for a line from Cameroon the ''Société Civile d'Études du Chemin de Fer Douala-Tchad
(SEDOT) was formed, and continued planning led to start of construction in 1964 - the line was constructed as far as Ngaoundéré in Cameroon (the Trans-Cameroon Railway, completed 1975.). Initial plans were for an extension to Moundou in Chad, but this was not completed. or Le chemin de fer Bangui-Tchad''.) was under consideration as part of this scheme. In August 2011, Sudan, Chad and the
Export-Import Bank of China were reported to have reached an agreement to construct a cross border line from Chad's capital to the rail line at
Nyala, Sudan. On 24 December 2011, the Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation of Chad and CCECC signed the agreement (then valued at $5.6 billion) for the line's construction - with construction planned to start in February 2012. Two lines are planned: one from the capital
N'Djamena to
Moundou and
Koutéré on the
Cameroon border (528 km), and one from the capital to the
border with Sudan (836 km) via
Abéché and
Adré. The lines are to be built to
standard gauge and for 120 km/h running, and equipment for the line will be sourced in China.
2014 In 2012, construction was reported started on a new 161km, standard (1435mm) gauge from
Adré, on the border with Sudan, to
Abéché. However, it would appear that little progress has been made, despite a further report that construction was under way in 2016. If eventually completed, this will be the first railway in Chad; it is proposed that it would connect with a new railway in Sudan from
Port Sudan on the Red Sea. A further 575km section in Chad would run from
Abéché to the capital,
N’Djamena.
2015 • Cameroon-Chad railway • Sudan-Chad railway
2021 Funding was approved in 2021 for a feasibility study into a 528 km line from
N’Djamena to
Koutéré on the border with Cameroon, where it would connect with a new railway from the rail head at
Ngaoundéré.
2023 • Since the rail line in Cameroon from the Port of
Douala to the
Chad border, recently upgraded, is metre gauge (1000mm) a
break of gauge problem will occur when the
standard gauge line in
Chad meets a new line from
Ngaoundéré in
Cameroon at the Chad border. A new standard gauge railway for iron ore traffic is under construction between
Kribi and
Mbalam with a future connection to the existing metre gauge railway
Talgo RD gauge-changing trains may be able to overcome this break of gauge. == Maps ==