Italian Libya Railways


Italian Libya Railways was a group of railways built in the Italian colony of Libya between the two World Wars.

History

The Kingdom of Italy built in Italian Libya nearly 400 km of railways with gauge.

Projects

The Italian authorities decided to give priority to the construction of roads in Libya when Benito Mussolini took control of the Italian colonies. After 1926 no more railways were made in Libya, but during World War II the need of railways transport to the front during the war in the frontier with British Egypt changed this approach.
In spring 1941 the Italian government started the construction of a new railway between Tripoli and Benghazi, but by the end of 1942 all was stopped because of the Italian defeat in north Africa: only 18 km were done in Cirenaica. In the same period was started the enlargement of the "Tripoli-Zuara" until the border with Tunisia.
Additionally it is noteworthy to pinpoint that an international project was studied for decades, but never done because of excessive financial difficulties:
  • Italian "Transaharan railway" between Libia and the Gulf of Guinea

    Equipment

In Libya the first locomotives were the steam locomotives R.401 and R.301, but the most successful were the R.302 produced in northern Italy.

Railways

There were only five small railways:
1) Tripoli-Zuara :
StationsCentral: Tripoli5 km: Gurgi6 km: Gargaresc16 km: Janzur22 km: Saliad30 km: Lemaia35 km: EtTuebiaGarg47 km: EzZauia56 km: EsSabriaBu-Isa64 km: Sorman76 km: SabrathaVulpia82 km: ZungaelAgelat100 km: Mellita118 km: Zuara

2) Bengazi-Barce :
StationsCentral: Bengazi9 km: Lete19 km: Benina30 km: Regima41 km: GabreGira49 km: BuMariam60 km: el-Abiar76 km: SidiMaius86 km: Sferi91 km: Sleaia97 km: SidiGibrin108 km: Barce

3) Tripoli-Garian :
StationsCentral: Tripoli5 km: Gurgi6 km: Gargaresc19 km: ElMisciasta24 km: EnNgila29 km: SuaniBenAdem35 km: BirElMiamin43 km: UmmelAdem50 km: ElAzizia83 km: HenscirElAbiat90 km: Vertice31

4) Bengasi-Soluch :
StationsCentral: Bengazi1 km: Bengasi Porto2 km: Berca10 km: Guarscia14 km: GuarsciaBen24 km: Nauaghia32 km: NauaghiaB40 km: Giardina45 km: GiardinaVS50 km: SoluchFV56 km: Soluch

5) Tripoli-Tagiura :
StationsCentral: Tripoli2 km: Tripoli Riccardo3 km: Cavalleria5 km: SidiMessri9 km: Fornaci11 km: AinZara13 km: Sghedeida15 km: ElMellaha20 km: TagiuraFV21 km: Tagiura VS