River Nzi railway bridge collapse September 2016

[John Ashworth]

A railway bridge crossing over the River Nzi from Ivory Coast to Burkina Faso collapsed, as this September photo shows.

[Mel Turner]

This railway is run by the French Bolloré Railways Company. So hard-nosed businessmen rather than procrastinating risk averse bureaucrats

No committees of inquiry, Bolloré had the line reopened in just over a fortnight, quicker than most politicians/bureaucrats could have framed the terms of reference, much less held their first committee meeting. A government owned rail bridge on the main (and only) line in southern Chile collapsed around the same time, The government and bureaucracy there have still to progress past the preliminary committee of enquirery stage

Photos of the repair will be copyrighted, so will give links.

The dozers and compactors arrived within 24 hours
http://koaci.com/m/cote-divoire-sitarai ... 946-i.html

Locos were salvaged, and returned to Abidjan for repair within a week, a stable pad under the collapsed section was required for the cranes
http://aip.ci/cote-divoiredegagement-de ... -dimbokro/

A contact was at the site on 15/09, at that date the collapsed span had been gasaxed and dragged clear by dozers

These photos taken 20/09
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php? ... 8223657815

In preparation for wet season, the new section is currently being armoured with gabions, with the river channel under the remaining spans opened out to increase water flow

A replacement span can now be fabricated at leisure, lifted into place and positioned on the original pads/piers, with only a couple of days line closure, then the fill removed. Total time from collapse to reopening line for traffic around 15 days. This line is landlocked Burkina Faso's only rail link to the ocean, collapse was at a critical time for agricultural exports, so speed was essential

[John Ashworth]

Thanks, Mel. Any info on the locomotives used on this railway, including the one in the photos?

[Mel Turner]

Caught on Bridge were CC22008 and CC22105, both appear to be GT22LC-2

Not shown on Andre Kristopan's list however picked up by Larry Russell on his EMD export site. RAN (Régie des Chemins de Fer Abidjan-Niger) originally purchased 25 GT22LC-2, numbered CC2201 - CC2225 c.1981

Rebuilt and renumbered over the years. Similar to NRZ 1001-1061

Under Bolloré operatorship Sitarail have acquired
4 x GT26CU-3 clones NRE CC33201-CC33204
4 x GT26CU-3 clones NRE (contract built by TZV Gredelj in Croatia) CC33205-CC33208

Grindrod Locomotives are Currently delivering 5 x 16-645 powered AC/AC units CC33209-CC33213 plus 6 of their 700HP shunters (believed to be AC traction)

[Mel Turner]

CC33209

http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/articl ... 2016-05-06