Editing Transport in Burkina Faso

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
[[File:Un-burkina-faso.png|thumb|upright=1.35|A 2007 map of Burkina Faso, including main and secondary roads, major airports, and railroad lines]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
'''Transport in Burkina Faso''' consists primarily of road, air and rail transportation. [[The World Bank]] classified country's transportation as underdeveloped but noted that [[Burkina Faso]] is a natural geographic transportation hub for [[West Africa]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 September 2011 |url=http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/231191468236065618/pdf/WPS5818.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817123956/http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/231191468236065618/pdf/WPS5818.pdf |archive-date=2017-08-17 |url-status=live |access-date=14 October 2022 |website=The World Bank|last1=Briceño-Garmendia|first1=Cecilia|last2=Domínguez-Torres|first2=Carolina|title=Burkina Faso's Infrastructure: A Continental Perspective}}</ref>

== Highways ==
[[File:Ouagadougou road.jpg|thumb|Ouagadougou road]]
[[File:ASC Leiden - van Achterberg Collection - 5 - 001 - Un marché lors d'une pause en bus de Ouagadougou à Bobo-Dioulasso - Boromo, province des Balé, Burkina Faso, 19-26 août 2001.tif|thumb|"S. T. M. B." (Service de Transport Mixte Bangrin) at a market during a break in the bus journey from Ouagadougou to Bobo-Dioulasso. Boromo, Balé Province, Burkina Faso, 2001]]

In 2002, there were a total of {{convert|12506|km}} of [[highway]] in Burkina Faso, of which {{convert|2001|km}} are paved.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Burkina Faso |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/places/africa/burkina-faso-political-geography/burkina-faso|website=www.encyclopedia.com|access-date=2020-05-24}}</ref>

In 2000, the Government of Burkina Faso classified 15,000 kilometers of road as part of the national road network managed under the Ministry of Infrastructures Transport and Housing (MITH) through the Directorate of Roads (DGR). This network includes main inter-city roads and access roads for départments' capital cities. Only ten of the network's main roads are even partially paved, and the paved roads are plagued by dangerous potholes, missing signage, missing barriers and guardrails near roadside hazards, and no pavement markings to separate traffic moving in opposite directions<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/Other/PDF/iwmi_workshop_proceedings-irrigation_in_west_africa-_current_status_and_a_view_to_the_future.pdf|title=Irrigation in West Africa: Current Status and a View to the Future|editor1=Regassa E. Namara|editor2=Hilmy Sally|publisher=[[International Water Management Institute]]}}</ref>

As of May 2011 the country's road infrastructure was rated by the [[World Bank]] to be in relatively good condition and noted that country was regional hub with paved roads linking the country to [[Mali]], [[Ivory Coast]], [[Ghana]], [[Togo]], and [[Niger]].<ref name="AICD"/> Nevertheless, "trucking [[cartels]] and red tape contribute to high transportation costs and diminished international competitiveness."<ref name="AICD"/>  58% of firms in Burkina Faso identified roads as major business constraint, maintenance and rehabilitation needs of the main road network are said to be underfunded.<ref>{{cite report |last1=Gwilliam |first1=Ken |last2=Foster |first2=Vivien |last3=Archondo-Callao |first3=Rodrigo |last4=Briceño-Garmendia |first4=Cecilia |last5=Nogales |first5=Albeto |last6=Sethi |first6=Kavita |date=June 2008 |title=The Burden of Maintenance: Roads in sub-Saharan Africa |series=Background Paper |volume=14 |location=Washington, DC |publisher=World Bank, Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic |type=none |url=https://roadsforwater.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/the-burden-of-maintenance_roads-in-SSA.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://roadsforwater.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/the-burden-of-maintenance_roads-in-SSA.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live}}{{pages?|date=April 2022}}</ref>

==Air transport==
[[File:Plane in Ouagadougou.jpg|thumb|Plane in Ouagadougou]]

There are international airports at [[Ouagadougou]] and [[Bobo-Dioulasso]] and numerous smaller airfields. In 2004, the number of airports totaled 23, only two of which had paved runways as of 2005.<ref name="port">{{cite web |title=Field Listing – Airports |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2053.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004807/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2053.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 13, 2007 |website=Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=7 July 2018}}</ref> [[Air Burkina]], which began in 1967, is government-run and has a monopoly on domestic service but also flies to neighboring countries.

Ouagadougou airport handles about 98% percent of all scheduled commercial air traffic in Burkina Faso. Air Burkina and Air France handle about 60% of all scheduled passenger traffic.<ref name="P120960"/> Between 2005 and 2011, air passenger traffic at Ouagadougou airport grew at an average annual rate of 7.0 percent per annum reaching about 404,726 passengers in 2011 and was estimated to reach 850,000 by 2025.<ref name="P120960"/> In 2007 Ouagadougou airport was the fifteenth busiest airport in West Africa in passenger volume, just ahead of Port Harcourt (Nigeria) and behind Banjul (Gambia).<ref name="P120960"/> The total air cargo at Ouagadougou airport grew 71% from 4,350 tons in 2005 to about 7,448 tons in 2009.<ref name="P120960"/>

The government plans to close the Ouagadougou airport upon construction of the new [[Ouagadougou-Donsin Airport]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=egis Group Projects |url=https://www.egis-group.com/projects |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=egis Group |language=en}}</ref> approximately 35&nbsp;km northeast of Ouagadougou. The new airport is expected to be completed around 2018 and the government received an $85 million loan from the [[World Bank]] to help finance the construction.<ref name="P120960"/> The government of Burkino Faso believed that the project would cost $618 million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=burkinafasoindia.org |url=https://burkinafasoindia.org/ |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=burkinafasoindia.org |language=fr-FR}}</ref>

== Railways ==
{{main|Rail transport in Burkina Faso}}
[[File:Sitarail train.jpg|thumb|Sitarail train]]

There are 622 kilometres of [[railway]] in [[Burkina Faso]], of which 517&nbsp;km run from Ouagadougou to [[Abidjan]], [[Ivory Coast]]; and 105&nbsp;km from Ouagadougou to Kaya. As of June 2014 ''Sitarail'' operates a passenger train three times a week along the route from Ouagadougou to Abidjan via [[Banfora]], [[Bobo-Dioulasso]] and [[Koudougou]].<ref>European Rail Timetable, Summer 2014 Edition, (journey time is 43 to 48 hours)</ref>

All of the railways in the country are of {{RailGauge|1000mm|allk=on}}.  Only [[Transport in Ivory Coast|Ivory Coast]] is connected to Burkina Faso by rail.

Instability in Ivory Coast in 2003 forced a rerouting of rail freight from the Abidjan corridor to ports in Togo, Benin, and Ghana via the road network.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=African Development Bank Group (AfDB)|date=April 2014|title=West African Monitor Quarterly |url=https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/Quarterly_West_Africa_Monitor_-_Issue_2.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/Quarterly_West_Africa_Monitor_-_Issue_2.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |journal=African Development Bank Group West Africa Regional Department|volume=2|pages=24}}</ref> A proposed rail link between Ouagadougou and [[Pô]] in Burkina Faso and [[Kumasi]] and [[Boankra]] in Ghana, has been discussed with Ghanaian officials, and feasibility studies are being undertaken to explore this possibility, which would provide rail access to the inland port of Bonakra.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ghanahighcommissionuk.com/contractors-asked-to-submit-bids-for-ghana-burkina-faso-rail/|title=Contractors asked to submit bids for Ghana-Burkina Faso rail – Ghana High Commission |website=www.ghanahighcommissionuk.com |access-date=2018-06-04}}</ref> Burkina Faso and Ghana use different rail gauges and this [[break-of-gauge]] can be overcome to a greater or lesser extent with a number of methods.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ranganathan, Rupa|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/931678779 |title=ECOWAS's Infrastructure A Regional Perspective|oclc=931678779}}</ref>

In 2006, an Indian proposal surfaced to link the railways in Benin and Togo with landlocked Niger and Burkina Faso.  Additionally, a Czech proposal also surfaced to link Ghana railways with Burkina Faso.<ref>{{Cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040810010048/http://www.otal.com/ghana/transportnews.htm|url=http://www.otal.com/ghana/transportnews.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=2004-08-10|title=Ghana - Burkina Faso: New Rail Line Planned to Link Burkina Faso to the Coast|author=OT Africa Line|date=2004-06-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fdi.net/documents/WorldBank/databases/ghana/Ghana_burkina_railway_Ghana.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071108110530/http://www.fdi.net/documents/WorldBank/databases/ghana/Ghana_burkina_railway_Ghana.pdf|url-status=dead|title=World Bank Report|archivedate=November 8, 2007}}</ref>  The manganese deposits near [[Dori, Burkina Faso|Dori]] are one source of traffic.  Burkina Faso would also be a participant in the [[AfricaRail]] project.

In May, 2011 the [[World Bank]] reported that ''[[Sitarail]]'' had recovered well from the [[2010–11 Ivorian crisis|political crisis in Ivory Coast]] but was experiencing financial distress, needed to re-balance its financial structure and find alternative funding for rehabilitation backlog.<ref name="AICD"/>

=== Stations served ===
{{main|Railway stations in Burkina Faso}}

The following towns of Burkina Faso are served by the country's railways:
* [[Banfora]]
* [[Bobo-Dioulasso]]
* [[Koudougou]]
* [[Ouagadougou]] - national capital
* [[Kaya, Burkina Faso|Kaya]] - terminus

{{commons category}}

== See also ==
* [[West Africa Regional Rail Integration]]

== References ==
{{CIA World Factbook}}
{{Reflist|32em|refs=
<ref name="AICD">AICD, World Bank, Burkina Faso Infrastructure Report, May 2011, http://www.ppiaf.org/sites/ppiaf.org/files/publication/AICD-Burkina-Faso-Country-Report.pdf</ref>
<ref name="P120960">{{cite web| publisher=World Bank | work= Project Information Document|title= Burkina Faso Donsin Transport Infrastructure Project (P120960) | date= 7 February 2013| url=http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/AFR/2013/03/12/090224b0819d0aad/1_0/Rendered/INDEX/Project0Inform0re0Project000P120960.txt| access-date= 2014-10-11}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
* [https://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/burkina.pdf UN map of Burkina Faso]

{{Economy of Burkina Faso}}
{{Africa in topic|Transport in}}
{{Burkina Faso topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport In Burkina Faso}}
[[Category:Transport in Burkina Faso| ]]