The joy of long train trips is that they leave lots of time for gazing and thinking. My journey from Dakar in Senegal to Bamako in Mali, which was supposed to take 35 hours, would surely provide much food for thought.
I started out by booking a first-class ticket at Dakar’s main railway station, which proved relatively easy. I was told, however, that the train would depart from “Gare de Hann”. I had had directions through TransRail, the train operator, but even my taxi driver needed further pointers along the way, and the station turned out to be a nondescript junction. Here, a tatty train that looked fit only for cargo shuffled past me at 1.35pm before reversing to a halt.
The locals certainly knew it to be “the train”, and began the frantic business of loading their cargo. The train dated from the colonial era, complete with route maps of the French rail network emblazoned across the inside of the compartments. When carriage steward Mactar Diop noticed my distress at not knowing where to board, he grunted and pointed me to my carriage. Mactar, I learnt, was to be my custodian throughout the journey.
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| Hawkers sell food to passengers on the Dakar-Bamako train |
When we pulled out of Dakar at 2pm, only 10 minutes late, it seemed like a good start. But 100 metres later we came to a halt. “In Africa”, Vincent presciently remarked, “you know when a journey begins, but not when it ends.” Fifteen minutes later we were off again, but it was more than three hours until we rattled into Thiès, about 70km east of Dakar.
The train is a vital trading artery for the small settlements dotted along the line. Any stop around mealtimes will mean good business for the villagers selling beets, peanuts, yams, fruit, chicken and goat to passengers.
Shortly after pulling out of Thiès, a fracas broke out in second class over the apparent theft of a phone. Jessica and Neil, British gap-year students, were moved in with us for reasons of safety. Vincent, meanwhile, had negotiated an upgrade to “luxury” class – a couchette for Izabela and himself. It didn’t quite equate to an upgrade in facilities: there was still no running water, and the toilets were long-drops with next to no privacy.
With darkness approaching, the train stumbled its way past Khombole, then on to Dayabe-Lagnay. It was time for the unfurling of carpets in the passageway and recitation of evening prayers. As night fell, I spent hours in broken conversation with Amadu, a young Malian who escaped his crowded compartment by taking regular cigarette breaks. The names of African football stars filled in the gaps in our chatter.
We eventually pulled into Kati at 10am on our second full day, our last stop before Bamako. With the finish line a mere 15km away, we hit one final hurdle: word spread of a derailment ahead of us. No time could be given for when we would get moving again. After talking to some train regulars, Vincent was told that local taxi drivers do a roaring trade from passengers who need to get to Bamako in a hurry. A handful of us decided to wait things out, wanting to finish what we started.
At 1.30pm, when the track had been “cleared”, we chugged on. We pulled into Bamako at 2pm, a symmetrical 48 hours after leaving Dakar. Amid the throng of porters I felt relief – and much weariness.
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Details
Distance 1,230km
Regularity No specific schedule, but supposedly every eight or nine days. My train left Dakar on a Wednesday
Length of journey My journey was 48 hours, which was seemingly good going. However, due to derailments and the condition of the tracks, many may not be so lucky.
Departure point From Senegal, Gare de Hann, about 4km outside the centre of Dakar. Departure in Mali is from the main railway station.
Onboard facilities Sparsely stocked bar and restaurant with periodic meals.
Cost
First class couchette – CFA52,000 (£62)
First class – CFA34,250
Second class – CFA25,000
“Roof” class – nominal rate negotiated with the train attendants
