Possibility of a Trans-African Maglev Train?

[Techno-Druid]

Imagine a Maglev train that traveled from Cairo to Johannesburg in a day's time? What benefits would a many billion dollar investment into any transcontinental Maglev train that could allow you to reach a destination in a day's time.

[Puupi]

If it transfers goods, sure thing. For people, completely useless.

[Afrospinach]

Virtually nil. Especially for goods ^^

Takes them days to weeks to clear goods at the border as is.

[Templar 331]

You'd have some dumbass warlord knockout a section of track to rob it not knowing how fast it goes. >.<

[Kalis]

Why not just fly? You can get from London to Johannesburg in half a day.

[Reeve]

Imagine a Maglev train that traveled from Cairo to Johannesburg in a day's time? What benefits would a many billion dollar investment into any transcontinental Maglev train that could allow you to reach a destination in a day's time.

Good luck preventing people from stealing the tracks.

[Puupi]

Good luck preventing people from stealing the tracks.

Or this with a 600km/h train....

[Mihalik]

Imagine a Maglev train that traveled from Cairo to Johannesburg in a day's time? What benefits would a many billion dollar investment into any transcontinental Maglev train that could allow you to reach a destination in a day's time.

I don't think you realize how big Africa is, and how hostile much of the terrain that would need to be crossed would be.

This under the presumption that you can maintain security at the full length of the line. Then there's the issue of the reliable power supply, the actually construction of the line and it's maintenance etc.

[Reeve]

Or this with a 600km/h train....

Yeah, this is a real thing. I encountered a bunch of these in my time in Mozambique. It was a smaller truck and about half as many people, but still formidable as hell. I don't know how they prevent the axles from snapping.

[Afrospinach]

You'd have some dumbass warlord knockout a section of track to rob it not knowing how fast it goes. >.<

It would die a slow death from lack of maintenance in all likelihood.

The british already tried to build a railway across africa ages ago, I think it was south to Cairo, I am not sure how much is left but to this day it fails to be competitive, large sections of the track find themselves pilfered for scrap metal and the sleepers are prized as well. What does remain I don't think has been repaired since independence. I can take some pictures of you want, you will question how they can still run trains on it. High maintenance delicate hardware is just not something you do here.

Oh and let us not forget that SA has not built a power plant since 1996, the rest of africa not much better. In Zambia they are still creaming it from Kariba dam, which is at capacity now. Their big plan seems to be to raise electricity prices>???>profit. The chinese are the ones building a new power plant and it is most likely a handout for more mining rights. How is this thing going to move?

No, this is a spectacularly terrible idea on the best of days on this continent. Never mind that freight is more about volume than speed, and maglevs are not exactly famous for their load bearing capabilities so you are really left competing for passengers, of which there are not that many and they just fly. Better of taking your billions and doing some good old fashion road repair if you are feeling so generous, will be a good couple of years until they ruin it with overloading - AGAIN. Hopeless.

I don't know how they prevent the axles from snapping.

Well that is easy, they don't! I saw a bus on a roundabout a few years ago, the rear axle decided to call it a day and kept going straight, the rest of the vehicle turned. It does not seem mechanically possible but it happened. You had the whole rear end step out of the bus, never seen anything like it.

[Reeve]

It would die a slow death from lack of maintenance in all likelihood.

The british already tried to build a railway across africa ages ago, I think it was south to Cairo, I am not sure how much is left but to this day it fails to be competitive, large sections of the track find themselves pilfered for scrap metal and the sleepers are prized as well. What does remain I don't think has been repaired since independence. I can take some pictures of you want, you will question how they can still run trains on it. High maintenance delicate hardware is just not something you do here.

Oh and let us not forget that SA has not built a power plant since 1996, the rest of africa not much better. In Zambia they are still creaming it from Kariba dam, which is at capacity now. Their big plan seems to be to raise electricity prices>???>profit. The chinese are the ones building a new power plant and it is most likely a handout for more mining rights. How is this thing going to move?

No, this is a spectacularly terrible idea on the best of days on this continent. Never mind that freight is more about volume than speed, and maglevs are not exactly famous for their load bearing capabilities so you are really left competing for passengers, of which there are not that many and they just fly. Better of taking your billions and doing some good old fashion road repair if you are feeling so generous, will be a good couple of years until they ruin it with overloading - AGAIN. Hopeless.



Well that is easy, they don't! I saw a bus on a roundabout a few years ago, the rear axle decided to call it a day and kept going straight, the rest of the vehicle turned. It does not seem mechanically possible but it happened. You had the whole rear end step out of the bus, never seen anything like it.

Yeah, people who have never spent any significant amount of time in Africa always either underestimate it, or they concentrate too much on the wrong things, like warlords. The real problems are more like the things you mention.

[Mihalik]

The british already tried to build a railway across africa ages ago, I think it was south to Cairo, I am not sure how much is left but to this day it fails to be competitive, large sections of the track find themselves pilfered for scrap metal and the sleepers are prized as well. What does remain I don't think has been repaired since independence. I can take some pictures of you want, you will question how they can still run trains on it. High maintenance delicate hardware is just not something you do here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_to_Cairo_Railway