A Transcontinental Railroad is a railway that crosses a continent typically from "sea to sea". Terminals are at or connected to different oceans. Because Europe is criss-crossed by railroads, railroads within Europe are usually not considered transcontinental, the Orient Express perhaps being an exception. Animated, colour-coded map showing the various continents. ... Terminal Station was also the name of a railway station in Chattanooga, Tennessee; see Chattanooga Choo Choo. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Poster advertising the Orient Express Orient Express is the name of a long-distance passenger train originally operated by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. ...

The ceremony for the driving of the golden spike, signifying the completion of the world's First Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah, United States, May 10, 1869. Photograph by Andrew J. Russell.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (862x587, 313 KB) Summary Gamma corrected, temporary file for FPC. Licensing This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (862x587, 313 KB) Summary Gamma corrected, temporary file for FPC. Licensing This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... Ex-Virginia and Truckee Railroad No. ... This article refers to a railroad built in the United States between Omaha and Sacramento completed in 1869. ... Promontory is a location in Box Elder County, Utah, centered approximately at 41°3707N, 112°3251W, with an elevation of 1494 meters (4902 feet) above sea level. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... The ceremony for the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10, 1869. ...

The Americas

Lord Strathcona driving the last spike of Canada's first transcontinental railroad, the Canadian Pacific Railway, in 1885

Last Spike of the CPR - Craigellachie, British Columbia, Canada Donald Smith driving the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway. ... Last Spike of the CPR - Craigellachie, British Columbia, Canada Donald Smith driving the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway. ... Donald Alexander Smith (August 6, 1820-January 21, 1914) was a Scotch-Québécois fur trader, financier, railroad baron and politician in Canada. ... An eastbound CPR freight at Stoney Creek Bridge in Rogers Pass. ...

Panama

The first transcontinental railroad was the Panama Railway, completed in 1855. Built near the narrowest point of the Central American isthmus in modern-day Panama (then part of Colombia), the railroad was only 48 miles / 77.25 km long, but the terrain, climate, and disease presented considerable engineering challenges. The Panama Railway or Panama Railroad was the worlds first transcontinental railroad. ... Year 1855 (MDCCCLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... The Isthmus of Panama. ...

United States

In the United States, the area of the Mississippi River has always been a transfer point between systems in the East and West. No company has controlled a route all the way from one coast to the other (though several had lines between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico). The reason for this is fairly simple: if an eastern company were to ally itself with a western company, it would no longer have the choice of sending traffic over the other western lines. This is still true—two of the major Class I railroads have systems east of the Mississippi, while the other two major ones are mainly west of the Mississippi. For the river in Canada, see Mississippi River (Ontario). ... Red shows states east of the Mississippi River, pink shows states not fully eastern or western The U.S. Eastern states are the states east of the Mississippi River. ... This article deals with the western United States. ... Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ... A Class I railroad in the United States, or a Class I railway (also Class I rail carrier) in Canada, is one of the largest freight railroads, as classified based on operating revenue. ...

Thus, in the United States, the term transcontinental railroad usually refers to a line over the Rocky Mountains between the Midwest and Pacific Ocean. Some of the eastern trunk lines are covered in railroads connecting New York City and Chicago. For individual mountains named Rocky Mountain, see Rocky Mountain (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Midwestern region in the United States. ... For a long time, the most important railroad corridor in the United States has been between New York City and Chicago, Illinois. ...

• The First Transcontinental Railroad was completed on May 10, 1869, with the golden spike ceremonially driven at Promontory, Utah, after track was laid over a 1,756 mile (2,826 km) gap between Sacramento and Omaha in six years by the Union Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific Railroad.
• In 1882, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway connected Atchison, Kansas with the Southern Pacific Railroad at Deming, New Mexico, thus completing a second link to Los Angeles.
• The Southern Pacific Railroad linked New Orleans with Los Angeles in 1883, linking the Gulf of Mexico with the Pacific Ocean.
• The Northern Pacific Railway, also completed in 1883, linked Chicago with Seattle.
• The Great Northern Railroad was built without federal aid by James J. Hill in 1893; it stretched from St. Paul to Seattle.
• In 1909, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul (or Milwaukee Road) completed a privately built Pacific extension to Seattle. On completion the line was renamed the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific.
• John D. Spreckels completed his privately funded San Diego and Arizona Railway in 1919, thereby creating a direct link (via connection with the Southern Pacific lines) between San Diego, California and the Eastern United States. The railroad stretched 148 miles (238 km) from San Diego to Calexico, California.
• In 1993, Amtrak's Sunset Limited was extended to the Atlantic Ocean, making it the first transcontinental passenger train route operated by one company. Hurricane Katrina cut the route in 2005.

George J. Gould attempted to assemble a truly transcontinental system in the 1900s. The line from San Francisco, California to Toledo, Ohio was completed in 1909, consisting of the Western Pacific Railway, Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, Missouri Pacific Railroad and Wabash Railroad. Beyond Toledo, the planned route would have used the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway, Wabash-Pittsburgh Terminal Railway, Little Kanawha Railroad, West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway, Western Maryland Railroad and Philadelphia and Western Railway, but the Panic of 1907 stopped the plans before the Little Kanawha section could be finished. The Alphabet Route was completed in 1931, providing the portion of this line east of the Mississippi River. This article refers to a railroad built in the United States between Omaha and Sacramento completed in 1869. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Ex-Virginia and Truckee Railroad No. ... Promontory is a location in Box Elder County, Utah, centered approximately at 41°3707N, 112°3251W, with an elevation of 1494 meters (4902 feet) above sea level. ... Sacramento redirects here. ... “Omaha” redirects here. ... Union Pacific redirects here. ... The Gov. ... Year 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AAR reporting marks ATSF), often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the largest railroads in the United States. ... Two views of a pedestrian mall on Commercial Street in downtown Atchison Commercial Street in downtown Atchison A statue of Amelia Earhart on Commercial Street in downtown Atchison Atchison is a city situated along the Missouri River in the eastern part of Atchison County, located in northeast Kansas, in the... The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting marks SP) was an American railroad. ... Deming is a city located in Luna County, New Mexico. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting marks SP) was an American railroad. ... NOLA redirects here. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Northern Pacific Railway (AAR reporting marks NP) was a railway that operated in the north-central region of the United States. ... Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ... Seattle redirects here. ... Great Northern may refer to: the Great Northern Diver, Gavia adamsii, a bird the Great Northern War, a war fought by Russia, Denmark-Norway, and Saxony-Poland against Sweden the Great Northern Railway, an Irish railway the Great Northern Railway, a United States railroad the Great Northern Railway, a British... James J. Hill at about age 35, ca. ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For an overview of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, see Minneapolis-Saint Paul. ... Seattle redirects here. ... The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. ... The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. ... John Diedrich Spreckels (August 16, 1853–June 7, 1926), the son of American industrialist Claus Spreckels, founded a transportation and real estate empire in San Diego, California in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ... The San Diego & Arizona Railway Company was a short-line American railroad (AAR reporting mark SDA) founded by sugar heir, developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels, and dubbed The Impossible Railroad by many engineers of its day due to the immense logistical challenges involved. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... San Diego redirects here. ... Red shows states east of the Mississippi River, pink shows states not fully eastern or western The U.S. Eastern states are the states east of the Mississippi River. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... The high-speed Acela Express in West Windsor, New Jersey. ... Amtraks eastbound Sunset Limited at the Houston Amtrak station. ... This article is about trains in rail transport. ... This article is about the Atlantic hurricane of 2005. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Jay Gould I (February 6, 1864 – May 16, 1923) was a financier and the son of Jay Gould. ... This article is about the decade starting in 1900 and ending in 1909. ... San Francisco redirects here. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Ohio Coordinates: , Country United States State Ohio County Lucas Founded 1833 Government  - Mayor Carty Finkbeiner (D) Area  - City 84. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Western Pacific redirects here. ... Categories: Rail stubs | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | Colorado railroads | New Mexico railroads | Utah railroads ... Missouri Pacific (MoPac; AAR reporting mark MP) was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. ... System timetable, 1887 1886 system map The Wabash Railroad (AAR reporting marks WAB) was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. ... The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway (reporting mark WLE)s oldest predecessor rail line began in Ohio, with the organization of the Carroll County Rail Road on March 9, 1850. ... The P&WV formed a connection between the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway and Western Maryland Railway. ... The Western Maryland Railway (AAR reporting mark WM) was an American Class I railroad which operated in Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Norristown High Speed Line. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Alphabet Route was a coalition of railroads connecting the Midwest United States with the Northeast, as a freight alternate to the four major systems - the Pennsylvania Railroad, New York Central Railroad, Erie Railroad and Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the river in Canada, see Mississippi River (Ontario). ...

With the merging of the railroads, only the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway remain. The BNSF Railway (AAR reporting marks BNSF), headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is one of the four remaining transcontinental railroads and one of the largest railroad networks in North America (only one competitor, the Union Pacific Railroad, is larger in size). ...

Canada

The completion of Canada's first transcontinental railroad is an important milestone in Canadian history. Between 1881 and 1885, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) completed a line between Ontario and the Pacific coast, fulfilling a condition of British Columbia's 1871 entry into the Canadian Confederation. The City of Vancouver, incorporated in 1886, was designated the western terminus of the line. The CPR became the first transcontinental railway company in North America in 1889 after its International Railway of Maine opened, connecting CPR to the Atlantic coast. Canada is a country of 32 million inhabitants that occupies the northern portion of the North American continent, and is the worlds second largest country in area. ... An eastbound CPR freight at Stoney Creek Bridge in Rogers Pass. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 107 Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 36 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th Total 944... We dont have an article called Canadian-confederation Start this article Search for Canadian-confederation in. ... For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation). ... Year 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The International Railway of Maine was a historic railroad operating between Megantic, Quebec and Mattawamkeag, Maine. ...

The construction of a transcontinental railroad had the effect of establishing a Canadian claim to the remaining parts of British North America not yet constituted as provinces and territories of Canada, acting as a bulwark against potential incursions by the United States. British North America consisted of the loyalist colonies and territories (i. ... Regions Political culture Foreign relations Other countriesAtlas  Politics Portal      Canada is a federation which consists of ten provinces that, with three territories, make up the worlds second largest country in total area. ...

Subsequently, two other transcontinental lines were built in Canada: the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) opened another line to the Pacific in 1912, and the combined Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR)/National Transcontinental Railway (NTR) system opened in 1917 following the completion of the Quebec Bridge, although its line to the Pacific opened in 1914. The CNoR, GTPR, and NTR were nationalized to form the Canadian National Railway, which remains Canada's "other" transcontinental railway. The Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) is a historic Canadian railway. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Grand Trunk Pacific Railway logo or herald The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) was a historical Canadian railway. ... -1... The Quebec Bridge (Pont de Québec in French) in Canada crosses the lower Saint Lawrence River to the west of Quebec City, and Lévis, Quebec. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Nationalization is the act of taking assets into state ownership. ... The Canadian National Railway (CN; AAR reporting marks CN, CNA, CNIS) is a Canadian Class I railway operated by the Canadian National Railway Company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. ...

South America

Main article: Trans-Andean Railways

There is activity to revive the connection between Valparaíso and Santiago in Chile and Mendoza, Argentina, through the Transandino project. Mendoza has an active connection to Buenos Aires. The old Transandino began in 1910 and ceased passenger service in 1978 and freight 4 years later. Technically a complete transcontinental link exists from Arica, Chile, to La Paz, Bolivia, to Buenos Aires, but this trans-Andean crossing is for freight only. There are several Trans-Andean Railways which are either planned, built, defunct, or waiting to be restored. ... Valparaíso is one of the main seaports of Chile, on the Pacific Ocean, and the capital of the Valparaíso Region. ... Location of Santiago commune in Greater Santiago Coordinates: , Region Province Foundation February 12, 1541 Government  - Mayor Raúl Alcaíno Lihn Area 1  - City 22. ... Monument dedicated to the Army of the Andes, on the summit of the Cerro de la Gloria. ... For other uses, see Buenos Aires (disambiguation). ... Arica, Chile 2005 Arica is a port city in northern Chile, located only 18 km (11 miles) south of the border with Peru. ... Motto: Los discordes en concordia, en paz y amor se juntaron y pueblo de paz fundaron para perpetua memoria Location of La Paz within Bolivia Coordinates: , Country Departament Province Pedro Domingo Murillo Province Founded October 20, 1548 Incorporated (El Alto) 20th century Government  - Mayor Juan Del Granado Area  - Total 470...

Eurasia

• The first Eurasian transcontinental railroad was the Trans-Siberian railway (with connecting lines in Europe), completed in 1905 which connects Moscow and Vladivostok at the Pacific. There are two connections from this line to China. It is the world's longest rail line at 9,289km (5,772 miles) long. This line connects the European Railroad System with China, Mongolia and Korea. Since the former Soviet Countries and Mongolia use a broader gauge, a break of gauge is necessary either at the Eastern frontiers of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania or the Chinese border. In spite of this there are through services of passenger trains between Moscow and Beijing or through coaches from Berlin to Novosibirsk. Almost every major town along the Trans-Sibirian railway has its own return service to Moscow.

• A second rail line connects Istanbul in Turkey via Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan with China. This route imposes a break of gauge at the Iranian border with Turkmenistan and at the Chinese Border. En route there is also a train ferry in Eastern Turkey across Lake Van. The European and Asian parts of Istanbul are currently linked by a train ferry, but an undersea tunnel is under construction. There is no through service of passenger trains on the entire line. A uniform gauge connection was proposed in 2006, commencing with new construction is Kazakhstan.

For other uses, see Eurasia (disambiguation). ... For the Fabergé egg, see Trans-Siberian Railway (Fabergé egg). ... With railways, a break-of-gauge is where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. ... A loaded train ferry approaching the dock in Detroit, Michigan, April 1943. ... Lake Van Armenian: ; (Turkish: Van Gölü; Kurdish: ) is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country. ... Marmaray is the name for a project to link the European and Anatolian halves of Istanbul by an undersea rail tunnel across the Bosphorus strait. ...

Other

• The Trans-Asian Railway is a project to link Singapore to Istanbul and is to a large degree complete with missing pieces primarily between Iran and Pakistan (under construction in 2005), and in Myanmar, aside from political issues. The project has also linking corridors to China, the central Asian states, and Russia. This transcontinental line unfortunately uses a number of different gauges, 1435 mm, 1676 mm and 1000 mm.
• The TransKazakhstanTrunk Railways project by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy will connect China and Europe at a gauge of 1435 mm. Construction is set to start in 2006. Initially the line will go to western Kazakhstan, south through Turkmenistan to Iran, then to Turkey and Europe. A shorter to-be-constructed 1435 mm link from Kazakhstan is considered going through Russia and either Belarus or Ukraine.

• The Baghdad Railway connects Istanbul with Baghdad and finally Basra, a sea port at the Persian Gulf. When its construction started in the 1880s it was in those times a Transcontinental Railroad.

• The proposed trans-Himalayan railway from Pakistan to China via the Khunjerab Pass could count as a transcontinental railroad due to the size of the mountains in the way. [1]

The Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) is a project to create an integrated freight railway network across Europe and Asia. ... Istanbul (Turkish: , Greek: , historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see other names) is Turkeys most populous city, and its cultural and financial center. ... Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), also National Company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, is the national railway company of Kazakhstan. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Ottoman Empire planned to construct a Baghdad Railway under German control. ... Khunjerab Pass from Pakistani side Snow leopard, an endangered species, is found in the Khunjerab National Park The Khunjerab Pass is a high mountain pass on the northern border of Pakistan with the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Australia

East-West

• The first Trans-Australian Railway was completed in 1917, between Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie, and crosses the Nullarbor Plain. This line completed the link between the mainland state capitals of Brisbane then Sydney via Melbourne and Adelaide to the western state capital of Perth. This route suffered from a number of breaks-of-gauge, using 1435 mm twice, 1600 mm once, and 1067 mm thrice, with five breaks-of-gauge in all.

The Trans-Australian Railway was the first route operated by the Federal Government. Looking east on the Trans-Australia Railway from Cook, South Australia The Trans-Australian Railway crosses the Nullarbor Plain from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia and contains the longest straight stretch of track in the world. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Port Augusta (32°29′ S 137°46′ E, population 15,250) is a town in South Australia. ... Kalgoorlie is a Western Australian city located about 600 km east of Perth. ... For the roadhouse along the Eyre Highway, see Nullarbor, South Australia NASA - Visible Earth, Nullarbor. ... For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... For other uses, see Adelaide (disambiguation). ... Location of Perth within Australia This article is about the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia. ... With railways, a break-of-gauge is where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. ...

In the 1930s, 1960s, and 1990s steps were taken to rationalise the gauge chaos and connect the mainland capital cities mentioned above with a streamlined 1435mm uniform gauge system. Since 1970, when the direct line across the country was all completed as standard gauge, the passenger train on the Sydney to Perth line has been called the Indian Pacific. The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known as the World Depression. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... Location of Perth within Australia This article is about the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia. ... Fresh from the launch of the new Indian Pacific livery on 24th September, NR 28 hauls the Indian Pacific out of Perth (through Maylands) on Wednesday, 28th September 2005. ...

North-South

• The first north-south trans-Australia railway opened in January 2004 and links Darwin to Adelaide through the Ghan. This line uses the 1435mm gauge.
• In 2006, proposals for new lines in Queensland that would carry both intrastate coal traffic and interstate freight traffic would see standard gauge penetrate the state in considerable stretches for the first time. (ARHS Digest September 2006). The standard gauge Inland Railway would ultimately extend from Melbourne to Cairns.

January 2004 : ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Irelands Roman Catholic and Protestant Boy Scouts organisations merge after nearly a century of division, in spite of efforts by the Roman Catholic bishops to block the merger. ... Central Darwin, circa 1986 Darwin is the capital of the Northern Territory, and is a city of 109,419 people (2001 census) on Australias far north-western coastline. ... For other uses, see Adelaide (disambiguation). ... Current route map of the Ghan The Ghan, short for The Afghan, is the 48-hour, 2,979-km passenger service on the Adelaide-Alice Springs-Darwin Central Australian Railway in Australia. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ... The Australian Inland Railway is a proposed railway extending in a north-south direction across the continent from Melbourne to Cairns along a route in mostly flat terrain west of the mountainous Great Dividng Range. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... Cairns is a regional city located in far north Queensland, Australia. ...

Africa

East-West

• There are several ways to cross Africa transcontinentally by connecting west-east railroads. One is the Benguela railway that was completed in 1929. It starts in Lobito, Angola and connects through Katanga to the Zambia railways system. From Zambia several ports are accessible on the Indian ocean: Dar es Salaam in Tanzania through the TAZARA, and, through Zimbabwe, Beira and Maputo in Mozambique. The Angolan Civil War has made the Benguela line largely inoperative, but efforts are being taken to restore it. Another west-east corridor leads from the Atlantic habours in Namibia, either Walvis Bay or Luderitz to the South African rail system that, in turn, links to ports on the Indian Ocean ( i.e. Durban, Maputo).

A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... The Benguela railway is a railroad operated by the Caminho de Ferro de Benguela that connects the Atlantic port of Lobito, Angola, to the railroad systems of Katanga province, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lobito is a city and a municipality of the province of Benguela, in Angola. ... Country Democratic Republic of the Congo Capital Lubumbashi Largest city Lubumbashi National language Swahili, Tshiluba Land area¹ 496 871 km² Governor Moïse Katumbi Chapwe Population Density 4 125 000 (est. ... Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) is one of the two major railroad organizations in Zambia. ... Dar es Salaam (دار السلام), formerly Mzizima, is the largest city (pop. ... TAZARA Train The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority(TAZARA) was established in the 1970s to build a railway to serve landlocked Zambia as an alternative to rail lines via apartheid-controlled Rhodesia and South Africa. ... Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique. ... Maputo is the capital of Mozambique. ... Walvis Bay, Namibia Walvis Bay, (Dutch/Afrikaans Walvisbaai, meaning Whale Bay), is an area in Namibia with a checkered history. ... Lüderitz, Namibia Lüderitz, Namibia is a town on one of the best harbours on the least hospitable coasts in Africa. ... For other uses, see Durban (disambiguation). ... Maputo is the capital of Mozambique. ...

North-South

• A North-South transcontinental railroad had been proposed by Cecil Rhodes: the Cape-Cairo railway. This system was seen as the backbone for the African possessions of the British Empire, but was not completed. During its development, a competing French colonial project for a Trans-Sahara line from Algiers or Dakar to Abidjan was abandoned after the Fashoda incident.

• An extension of Namibian Railways is being built in 2006 with the possible connection to Angolan Railways.

• Libya has proposed a Trans-Saharan Railway connecting to say Nigeria.

Cecil Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes, PC, DCL, (July 5, 1853 – March 26, 1902[1]) was a British-born South African businessman, mining magnate, and politician. ... Rhodes: Cape to Cairo The Cape-Cairo Railway is an uncompleted project to cross Africa from south to north by rail. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... This article is about the capital of Algeria. ... (City of Dakar, divided into 19 communes darrondissement) City proper (commune) Région Dakar Département Dakar Mayor Pape Diop (PDS) (since 2002) Area 82. ... Freeway along the Ébrié Lagoon near the Plateau, Abidjans business district and centre of the city. ... The Fashoda Incident (1898) was the climax of imperial territorial disputes between the United Kingdom and France in Eastern Africa. ...

African Union of Railways

• The African Union of Railways has ambitious plans to connect the various railways of Africa.

The African Union of Railways in an organisation under the auspices of the new African Union dealing with railways. ...

External links

• The Old Transandino
• Trans-Asian Railway Project
• Railroad, Train, Railroad Line, Railroad Stations, Locomotive, Steam Locomotive.