REQUIREMENTS TO THE MODERNIZATION OF AFRICAN RAILWAY NETWORKS: THE STANDARD GAUGE VERSUS THE METRIC GAUGE

Isolated African Railway Networks came into existence in the 19th and 20th centuries when the Colonialists built first lines to convey the heavy equipment and mineral resources from coastal areas to the inland areas (or vice-versa), which then attracted considerable attention. It is an undisputed fact that railway transport is a capital-intensive business that necessitates not only the private capital but also the state long-term budgeting, and investment in the sector must come in a package so that all the facets in the operations are tackled at the same time. Nowadays African Railways stands at crossroads waiting to be ushered into a new phase of modernization at international standard and interconnection of existing local national network according to the African Union Commission (Directorate of Information and Communication, 2016[1]; Matt Lowe, 2014[2]). This is because after decades of lack of financing and negligence, it has now been realized that railway transport is crucial to the overall boosting of the continent's economy.