Railway stations in Somaliland

The Railway Stations in Somaliland -or "Somalia"- were served by the Mogadishu–Villabruzzi Railway of 114 km.

Railway stations

Characteristics

The Railways Stations in Somalia, with the exception of the one of the capital Mogadiscio, were very simple and often were simple wood structures without passenger services. Some structures of the Mogadiscio station were dismantled by the British during WWII and sent to India.

The railway of Somalia italiana connected the capital city Mogadishu with Afgooye, and subsequently after 1929 with Villaggio Duca degli Abruzzi -called usually Villabruzzi (present-day Jowhar). The line in the early 1930s was served mainly by FIAT-TIBB diesel machines. The line and the stations were built by the Italians, but were later dismantled by British troops during World War II.

 Additionally in the 1930s a small  gauge railway (called decauville) of 250 km was constructed between Villabruzzi and the Somalia-Ethiopia border in order to solve the logistical problems related to the conquest & occupation of Ethiopia. In 1928-1936, the track was initially built in sections until Buloburde. The first railway section was 130 km long. It started in the small railway station of Bivio Adalei of the Mogadishu-Villaggio Duca degli Abruzzi (Jowhar) railway.

 Another small "decauville" railway of 46 km was built between Genale and Afgoi station in the 1920s, but was used only for sugar transport and the railway station were simply deposits.

Notes

Bibliography
 Hess, L. Italian colonialism in Somalia. University of Chicago Press. Chicago, 1966
 Marra, A. Trasporti e comunicazioni dell'Impero Unione editoriale d'Italia. Roma, 1940

Category:Rail transport in Somalia