Modes of transport in Gabon include rail, road, water, and air. The one rail link, the Trans-Gabon Railway, connects the port of Owendo with the inland town of Franceville. Most but not all of the country is connected to the road network, much of which is unpaved, and which centres on seven "national routes" identified as N1 to N7. The largest seaports are Port-Gentil and the newer Owendo, and 1,600 km of inland waterways are navigable. There are three international airports, eight other paved airports, and over 40 with unpaved runways. Nearly 300 km of pipelines carry petroleum products, mainly crude oil.
Until the 1970s Gabon had no permanent railroads, though temporary Decauville rail tracks were in use in the logging industry as early as 1913 (Gray and Ngolet, 1999, pp.102).
In 2003, the railway began the process of installing a satellite based telecommunications system. As of 2004, Gabon State Railways totalled 814 km of standard-gauge track.
total: 814 km (Gabon State Railways or OCTRA)standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)
UN Map - shows line to Franceville
UNHCR map - does not show line to Franceville
TravelPortal map - shows major rivers
UNJLC Rail map of Southern Africa - does not show line to Franceville
Railway stations in Gabon
Existing
Libreville - capital
Owendo - port
Sahoué - port
Franceville - railhead
Ndjolé
Lopé
Booué - likely junction for branchline to Makokou
Lastoursville
Moanda
Ntoum - proposed junction for iron ore traffic to Santa Clara
Kango
Four-Place
Mounana - ?
Proposed
Makokou - iron ore
Cape Santa Clara - proposed deep water port for Makokou iron ore.
Bélinga - possible iron ore mine.
China signs a deal for an iron ore mine with associated rail and port upgrades from Belinga to Santa Clara
New rail line from Belinga will go 450 km all the way to the coast, rather than to be a branch off an existing line.
Pan-African issues
total:
7,670 km
paved:
629 km (including 30 km of expressways)
unpaved:
7,041 km (1996 est.