History of rail transport in Cameroon

Initially, this railway ran from Zwingenberger Hof in Soppo, near Buea, the colonial capital of German Kamerun from 1901 to 1919, to the small port of Victoria, now known as Limbe, and also offered passenger services.

The closure of the gap to Mbalmayo was first achieved by a 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) railway from Otélé, with Feldbahn motive power and rolling stock.

The changeover to diesel operation was accelerated from 1950, because all coal had to be imported from South Africa and this led repeatedly to irregularities in the course of delivery.

[3] Independent from 1960, the Republic of Cameroon devoted its initial rail transport efforts to the construction of a 29-kilometre-long (18 mi) branch from the Northern Railway to Kumba.

Funds for the Yaoundé-Belabo segment amounting 37.85 million dollars was provided by the European Common Market, France and USAID.

In 2016 the country suffered the worst rail accident in its history after an overloaded train derailed near the town of Eséka, killing at least 70 people.

In 2022 work started by Portuguese company Mota-Engil of an iron ore railway from Mbalam and Nabeba to the new deep water port at Kribi.