Which railway carries iron ore across the Sahara from Zouérat to Nouadhibou in Mauritania?

The Mauritania Railway carries iron ore across the Sahara from Zouérat to Nouadhibou.

Mauritania Railway is a single-track line linking the inland mining centre of Zouérat with the Atlantic port of Nouadhibou. The route crosses roughly 700 kilometres of desert and is primarily used to transport iron ore from mines operated around Zouérat to the coast for export.

The railway opened in stages during the 1960s, after Mauritania became independent. Its trains are among the world’s longest, often including hundreds of wagons. Passenger travel is also associated with the service, and some travellers ride in or near the open ore wagons, although this is exposed to dust, heat and harsh desert conditions.

The line is not the same as a completed Trans-Saharan Railway, a broader proposed network that has never become one continuous operating route. Mauritania Railway is the specific mining railway crossing this part of the Sahara.