Why was the Trans-Saharan Railway never completed?

The Trans-Saharan Railway was a French colonial project proposed in 1879 to connect Algeria to sub-Saharan Africa. Aside from limited construction using forced labor under Vichy France during World War II, the ambitious rail line was never finished. Portions of related infrastructure, such as the Mediterranean-Niger Railway, saw development and later nationalization before being liquidated or closed.

What we know

• The Trans-Saharan Railway was an unfinished colonial railway project conducted by France to build a rail line south through Algeria to sub-Saharan Africa. [1, 2]
• The project was first proposed in 1879. [2]
• Limited construction on the railway occurred during 1941 and 1942 through the use of forced labor under Vichy France during World War II. [2]
• Construction on an Algerian segment of the Mediterranean–Niger Railway began in 1940–1941 as part of the Trans-Saharan Railway. [5]

Where to go next

• the bigger pictureHow did trade across the Sahara function before railways?
• a case in pointWhat was the Mediterranean-Niger Railway?
• whenWhen was the Trans-Saharan Railway first proposed?
• compared withWhat other trans-continental African railways were attempted?
• what caused itHow did Vichy France impact colonial infrastructure projects?
• an unexpected connectionHow does camel caravan trade connect to a modern railway project?Both historical camel caravans and modern colonial railway planners sought to bridge the immense economic divide caused by the Sahara desert between North Africa and the Niger River basin.

Sources

• [1]Trans-Saharan Railway (Wikidata Q774766) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Trans-Saharan Railway · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Trans-Saharan trade · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Cape to Cairo Railway · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Mediterranean–Niger Railway · CC BY-SA 4.0