The inception of the Sierra Leone Railway:
The Sierra Leone Government Railway operated from 1897 to 1974 was a national railway system constructed solely on a narrow gauge. There were a number of early proposals for a railway in Sierra Leone as early as 1872 including a trans-Sahara railway which never materialized. Finally, in 1893 a proposal funded by the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce was accepted, and surveying began. Disease was a major difficulty, which delayed completion of the survey.
Completion, commencement and expansion
The construction began from Freetown in 1896, and the first section of the railway was opened by March 1897 to Wellington (7 miles). After that the train line was expanded. It reached Waterloo in April 1898, Songo in 1899, Rotifunk in 1900, Bo in 1903, Baima in 1905 and Pendembu in 1907 covering a distance of 227.5 miles/366 kilometer.
Additional work
In 1903 from Freetown to Hill Station, a short 5.5 Miles branch or (8.9 km) in length was opened allowing Europeans in the city to live in the healthier hills above Freetown.
Another branch was built from Bauya Junction to Makeni in 1914 which extended to Kambia. The total route length was 311 miles (501 km).
The failed Railway Workers Strike, 1926:
Like all colonial establishment in Africa, discrimination against the black workers in the Sierra Leone Railways was felt. In 1926 enough was enough and the workers went on strike, protesting against discrimination applied to black clerks seeking pay raises. After a six weeks’ standoff, the strike ended in failure and the strikers were punished with lowered pay and extra hours of work.
Role of the Sierra Leone Railway in World War II:
The railways played an important role in the inter war period. It was used to move mineral resources from the interior to the city and also supported fighting in North Africa. Military aircraft were loaded on the train and transported to the end of the line where they were assembled and flown on to Egypt.
Impact of the Railway on Sierra Leone’s pre and post-independence economy:
The train service was economical, large number of passengers, goods and services were transported across the country within a short period of time. “It brought large amount of agricultural produce from the provinces to the city and made equal number of imported goods available in the rural areas” said Salifu Mansaray, Clerk, Train Museum, Cline Town. “It positively impacted transportation in the country as it was for the poor masses” Mansaray added.
Improvement in the railway sector:
The railway equipment was renewed in the 1950s with the introduction of diesel locomotives and the purchase of new freight wagons. Both goods and passenger traffic increased during this period leading to independence in 1961. New passenger coaches were provided by Britain as independence gift.
Services the railway provided and train fares:
A Public Notice issued by the Acting General Manager P.S. Terry on the 25th August 1966 read, “The railway administration announces the resumption of Through Train Services for passengers and goods between Freetown and the provinces. Starting Monday 12th September, 1966.” In this document, the train services started at Water Street in Freetown and terminated at Pendembu 15 miles near Kailahun district. They offered Express Passenger Services, Ordinary Passenger Services, Trains with Limited Passenger Accommodation, Suburban Services, School Train Services and Freight Services. The Express Passenger Services schedule was from Water Street to Pendembu. Trains ran on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. While from Pendembu to Water Street, trains ran on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
The trains operated First Class, Second Class and Third Class coaches. From Water Street to Cline Town Station, First Class cost Le 12,000, Second Class: Le 9,000, and Third Class Le 6,000 while return trip First Class Le 18,000 and Second Class is 15,000. Luggage cost Le 3,000 per 3.6kg (2014 GBP Sterling to Leones exchange rate). Animals were not loaded in the carriages but were booked and paid for.
The Queen’s Visit to Sierra Leone in 1961
Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, visited Sierra Leone on the royal yacht Britannia from 25 November to 1 December 1961. The Queen Elizabeth II Quay in Freetown is named after her. A pristine royal white coach was prepared for the royal couple to use while in Freetown. “The Queen was not able to use this coach because her travel schedule changed” a source revealed.
Decline and Closure of the railway:
“The reason for the closure of the railway was economics. The railway was not bringing enough revenue to government coffers. They wanted to introduce the double decker buses and so they said the train was slow. When President Siaka Stevens was asked on the matter he said one of the things he regretted was the closure of the Sierra Leone Railway (SLR)” Mansaray said. The Increase in road traffic and changes in government policy in the 1960s prepared the way for its closure, coupled with the acceptance of the United Nations Special Fund recommendation. The Hill Station branch with competition from motor cars was closed in 1929. The Makeni branch was closed in 1968, followed by the Kenema – Pendembu section in 1971. Further closures as far as Bo occurred in 1973, and the railway finally closed completely in 1974.
The Train Museum in Cline Town:
In 2004 and 2005, Colonel Steve Davies of the British Army, visited Sierra Leone and stumbled on the relics of the railway and pioneered the setting up of the Train Museum. The Former Vice President of the Railway Workers Union, Mohamed Bangura (1934 – 2016) was very instrumental to the establishing of the museum until his retirement in 2014. Meanwhile, the museum has fascinating collections of the railway relics: Nelle, the oldest steam engine built in 1915, Governors Coach, General Managers coach, Queen’ Coach, and many wonderful artifacts. It is open to the public for site seeing.
DT/13/04/2021