The Sahara Desert Railway #3 - The World's Worst Railway Station? - Mauritania

Late afternoon, hundreds of Mauritanians wait to scramble aboard empty iron ore wagons for the 17 hour overnight journey to Zouerate. First class passengers can buy tickets to squat in two converted cargo wagons with basic amenities. SNIM (Société Nationale Industrielle et Miniere) operates the 704 Km / 437 mile railway in Mauritania, which transports iron ore from mines at Zouerate in the North East to Nouadhibou on the West coast. The railway was built in 1963. The trains can have up to 4 EMD diesel locomotives pulling over 200 fully laden ore wagons, weighing over 17,000 Tonnes and over 2 Km in length. The EMD locomotives have been specially adapted to cope with extreme heat and desert conditions. They are of the types:- SD70-ACS SDL40-2 GDL-15T CC 117 + CC 113 - EMD SDL40-2, Co-Co, 4,500 Hp, V16 Diesel Electric. Specially designed for extreme heat and desert conditions. Built for SNIM in 1993 as part of a batch of 20. Seen here pulling 180 empty iron ore wagons back to the mines near Zourerate.