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| The Station at Nouadhibou |
Mauritania, A West African country that a lot of people have never even heard of and would probably struggle to pinpoint it on a map. Until last year Mauritania was almost a permanent fixture on the top 10 least visited countries in the world list.
The railway line (the only one in the country) is just over 700 KM in length and runs between the coast of Nouadhibou and the mines at Zouerat. Mauritania as a country has very little money or resources but it does have large reserves of Iron Ore in the mines at Zouerat and beyond.
Map of the Mauritania Railway
Everyday the trains averaging around 3 KM in length with 200+ wagons each capable of hauling 84 tons of ore (making them amongst the longest and heaviest in the world) make the empty journey from the coastal town of Nouadhibou (the second largest city in Mauritania after the capital Nouakchott) to the mines at Zouerat before filling up with ore and making the return journey.
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| Police Checkpoint at Nouadhibou station |
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| The tracks |
Catching the train from Nouadhibou would mean you would be riding the empty carriages whilst catching the train from Choum would mean a slightly dirtier but much better experience of riding the carriages full of ore.
The empty journey from Nouadhibou to Choum (460 KM) takes around 12 Hours, if you wanted to ride the train all the way to the first mine at Zouerat add 150 KM and about 5 Hours although i wouldn't recommend this.
The full journey from Choum to Nouadhibou (460 KM) takes around 14 Hours as the train is slower now it is heavier, again it is possible to pick the train up from the mines at Zouerat but it isn't particularly easy or practical to reach the mines via roads from the capital.
Trains run several times a day but only one in each direction stops at Nouadhibou and Choum to accept or drop off passengers.
The train is popular with the locals and can often get very full when running from Nouadhibou to the mines as once in Choum it is easy to get onward travel to the town of Atar. Whats notable about the train apart from it's size and the fact that you can simply jump on and catch a free ride (the best things in life are free) is that anybody can jump on with whatever they can load up in the time that the train is stopped, locals often transport goods, livestock or just about anything else that they can load on. It is also possible to get a vehicle craned on for the right price.
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| Some of the goods piled up ready to be loaded by the locals |
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| Warning sign at Nouadhibou |
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| Nouadhibou Station |
Limited information about the train schedule is available online, we were able to find out that the train that stops in Nouadhibou to pick up passengers is normally around 14:00. After acquiring some supplies including blankets & second hand clothes from the Nouadhibou markets on the day before we planned on catching the train we decided that the best option was to drive up to the station and speak to some locals and maybe see the process of boarding the train for ourselves.
Arriving at the station at 13:30 and there were several groups of locals lined up at the sides of the tracks. Thankfully Jonathan with his far superior French & Arabic skills was able to chat with the men and establish that the train is scheduled for 15:00 but lets just say it doesn't exactly run with Swiss precision. Armed with our new information we headed back town to rest up before tomorrows long journey.
The next day we got some taxis and made the journey from town up to the station (Two small buildings next to the track and otherwise surrounded by sand) it was a little after 14:00 and there was already a fair size crowd gathered by the tracks and in the waiting room of the building.
There is one passenger car at the rear of the train and it is possible to purchase tickets to ride in there for $5 although i don't really see the point as the whole experience is riding it for free like the locals.
People in the waiting room are for the passenger car everybody else beside the tracks is riding for free.
The two police officers manning the small police checkpoint building instantly noticed the arrival of 6 white foreigners and asked us to step in with our passports and Fiches.
A Fiche is a document you are required to make and carry whilst in Mauritania and when stopped at checkpoints or by the police you hand over a copy of your Fiche and are normally free to carry on your journey.
A Fiche should hold the following information
– Your full Name
– Your date of Birth
– Your nationality
– Your place of birth
– Your profession
– Your passport number
– The dates of your passport’s validity
– The day you entered Mauritania
– The day you plan to leave Mauritania
– Your planned route of travel in Mauritania
– Your Mauritania visa number
– The dates of your Mauritania visa’s validity
– Your final destination (outside of Mauritania)
After checking over all our passports and Fiches the two officers were satisfied and we were able to take up our position beside the tracks and await the trains arrival along with the crowds of locals.
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| Awaiting the arrival of the train |
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| Our second-hand clothes purchases |
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| Locals ready to ride also |
Finally the call came through the radio to one of the police officers that the train had just departed the port at Nouadhibou and would be arriving with us momentarily.
It wasn't long before the long snaking train was visible on the horizon and we were told to clear off the tracks.
The front locomotive whizzed past followed by the empty ore carriages, a solid 5 minutes and 200 + carriages later there was a sudden bang and screeching sound as the brakes came on and the train began to come to a halt. Two locals clearly not experienced at riding the train jumped back for cover as this happened much to the amusement of one of the officers. I think maybe he was watching expecting that reaction from us.
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| Approaching Train |
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| Stand Back |
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| Claiming our carriages |
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| The empty train snaking through the Sahara |
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| Passing a full train making the return journey from the mines |
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| Watching the desert pass by |
It wasn't long before we heard the clinking of carriages ahead of us they began gradually getting louder and suddenly a violent jerk almost sent us all flying and we were off beginning our 460 KM journey through the Sahara to Choum.
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| Making ourselves comfortable for the ride |
I was able to get some sleep but couldn't possibly estimate how much, I woke up on one occasion in the middle of a full on sand storm the entire carriage was coated in a several MM thick covering of sand and even with my goggles and head scarf my nose and mouth were full of sand. It wasn't all bad though it was a lovely clear night after the sand storm ceased and with absolutely no light pollution the stars were amazing.
Another occasion I was woken as the train screeched and jerked to a halt it was only a little after midnight (far too early for us to have arrived in Choum) and the section of track was only single so we were not stopping to let another full ore train pass like we had already had to do a couple of times. In the distance was a small group of lights possibly coming from a small village. Suddenly a large group of kids with buckets appeared beside the carriages. Unbelievably they were selling ice cold beverages to the passengers and were well stoked with drinks including; Juices, Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Ice Tea & Water as well as some other interesting looking local beverages.
As my own crate of drinking water had long ago become more suitable to be re-purposed as bath water this was a welcome relief and I would have happily paid premium prices for a nice ice cold drink. Thankfully though the price requested was a set 200 Mauritanian Ouguiya per drink (Approximately 45 Pence or 50 US Cents) needless to say we almost cleared them out of stock and they spent the rest of the time the train was stopped chatting to us about everything from football to circumcision (Yes I know a random mix of conversation) finally the ever familiar clinking sound could be heard ahead of us and the kids said there goodbyes and jumped of only seconds before we were jerked in to action and on our way again. We finished our drinks and attempted to get some more sleep now free from the interrogations of the kids.
Several hours later we were awoken again as the train once again ground to a halt, it was a little after 04:30 and there was a lot more commotion than any of our earlier stops, locals were jumping of and unloading there supplies, minibuses and 4X4's were driving around beside the tracks there lights illuminating the train and the surrounding desert.
Checking our GPS to confirm we were indeed in Choum before jumping of, as we were climbing out of our carriage and unloading the bags one of the many minibuses pulls up next to us and begins loading our bags on the roof of the vehicle almost as quickly as we could unload them from the train.
Jonathan began to negotiate with the driver and soon established that he would give us all a ride to the town of Atar (2 Hours drive away) for 2000 Ouguiya P/Person (£4.50, $5) being early in the morning and with Choum not exactly what you would call a active place we decided it was a good offer and we should head to Atar to get some food and work out a plan from there.
Our drive to Atar was interesting to say the least, aside from the many police checkpoints all of which requested or Fiches. I should point out that there is only one road from Choum to Atar and some of the checkpoints were only a mile or so apart. Just were they expected us to have come from and somehow sneaked past all of the previous checkpoints was beyond me. One of the other local passengers crammed in to the minibus with us looked visibly agitated as we screeched up a winding mountain pass. Clinging on to the seat in front of him he we asked what was wrong and his reply shocked us all a little "I don't like this road, my Uncle was killed in a bus like this here the other month" not exactly something you want to here when you bus driver seems to think that he is Colin McRae on a winding mountain road with steep drops.
Once in Atar we found some food and were able to clean up a little and wash off some of the dirt and sand. The others decided that they wanted to head of to a nearby oasis town to relax for a few days before catching the train back to Nouadhibou. Unfortunately due to time constraints and the fact that the trains from Choum back to Nouadhibou had been running severely late for the past couple days according to the locals. I couldn't risk spending any more than one night in Atar or anywhere else or I would end up missing my flight back to Casablanca and the next one wouldn't be for another 3 days.
So they found a taxi willing to take them south and I headed back up to the spot at which the minibus had dropped us of earlier in hope of finding a ride back to Choum. So once again i was crammed in to the back of a minibus albeit with a slightly more relaxed and slower driver and making my way back to Choum.
It was early afternoon when I arrived back in Choum and I picked a spot near the tracks and used a wall for a bit of cover for the sun before setting up my blanket and beginning the long wait for the train. It normally arrives in Choum around 18:30 but I had been informed it had run many hours late for the previous few days.
A few hours passed before I had my first visitor, word had obviously got out that a foreigner was camped up next to the tracks and the local police chief payed me a visit, I was just about able to explain with my limited French and his even more limited English that I was waiting for the train back to Nouadhibou and he was able to confirm that it was due in at (Dix huit heure) 18:00. So I set my alarm in case I dossed of and went back to hiding from the blistering desert sun. It was not long before I began to get more visitors in the form of the local kids all curious to see the foreigner in town to ride the train.
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| Camels loaded on the train |
My alarm went off just before midnight and I readied myself to board the train but once again about 20 minutes later it hurtled past without any indication of stopping. I was now panicking even more how I was going to make it back to Nouadhibou to catch my flight, thankfully a short time later locals began to arrive and also set up next to the tracks giving me a little more hope that one of the trains might actually stop soon. Just after 02:00 that ever familiar sound could be heard once again. I didn't even bother to get up this time as I simply expected it to rattle past again. I was half tempted to make an attempt to throw my bag up and attempt to climb up whilst it was still moving but thankfully the screech of the brakes broke the otherwise silent desert night and I jumped up ready to climb on.
It was late and I was tired, I hadn't had a proper nights sleep in the past days I quickly climbed up the ladder and found a suitable carriage, the ore was pilled high in the middle but was a good foot below the carriage top at the edges this would allow me to comfortably get some sleep without fear of falling of.
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| My bed set up for the journey |
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| Ben Amera, Mauritania's best kept secret and the second largest Monolith after Uluru (Ayers Rock) |
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| Enjoying the ride |
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| Ore & Desert and not much else |
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| The fine iron ore dust blowing in the wind makes it a very messy ride |
Finally arriving in Nouadhibou and after checking in with the police and parting with yet another Fiche (Lucky I printed of 50 copies to bring with me) I was swarmed by taxis who had all seemed to add the massive white man tax to the price of a ride back in to town. Politely turning them down I began to walk back to town, it was only a couple miles and I could do with stretching the legs after being on the train for so long.
I had only been going a couple minutes when a car pulled up next to me, thinking it was another taxi I enquired as to the price for a journey back to town. The man driving told me to jump in and insisted that anybody crazy enough to ride on top of the ore train and then walk back in to town in my current state deserved a free lift back to town.
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| Post ride and very kindly being given a ride back to town by a friendly local Things you will require if you want to make this epic journey: 1. Headscarf 2. Goggles 3. Old or Second Hand clothes 4. Some sort of plastic bags or sack (To protect you bags) 5. Water (I recommend a good 3 litres) 6. Blanket or Warm clothes (depending on the time of year it can get cold at night) 7. Fiches Riding from Nouadhibou to Choum/Zouerat Make your way to Nouadhibou either by road from a neighbouring country or by flying in to the airport before making your way to the station just outside town. Riding from Choum/Zouerat to Nouadhibou If only riding the train in one direction then you will need to make your way from the capital Nouakchott out to Atar, the route is well provided by shared taxis and minibuses, from Atar you will need another shared taxi or 4X4 to get you to Choum, It isn't much of a town more just a load of mud buildings and people surprised to see foreigners. As i aid the trains run daily and one will stop to pick up at some point, The scheduled time is 18:000 but they are frequently late and you shouldn't go wondering after this time as when it finally arrives it won't stop for long maybe only 5-10 minutes before heading of again. So pack a sense of adventure and prepare yourself for an experience of a lifetime. The Iron ore train is one of my favourite travel experiences and not something that I will ever forget and I am very happy to have finally crossed it of my list. Better find something equally interesting to takes it's place on the list now |
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