GREAT RAILWAY SCHEME.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3249, 20 June 1911, Page 2

GREAT RAILWAY SCHEME.

TO CROSS THE CONGO AND LINK UP CENTRAL AFRICA.

The next few years will probably witness great developments in Central Africa, where British, Belgian, and Portuguese authorities are planning the com straction of two great loop lines to the Cape-to-Cairo system. The proposed new railways will extend over a length of about 2,200 miles,- and will open up the whole of the back Congo country. Indeed, the effect of part of the scheme is practically to provide an ,alternative route for the Gaperto-Cairo line over tlie country between the Soudan and Rhodesia, so that the railway would run through the Belgian Congo as. well as thro vigil German East Africa. Sir Charles Metcalf, who has just returned from a visit to South Africa in connection with railway extension in Rhodesia, states that by the terms of tli erecently concluded agreement the Belgians had agreed to connect their line from the Katanga with the Portugusc line from Benguela (Lobito Bay). One-fourth of this line 7(1,000 miles long) was completed, and the remainder might he finished in a year and a half if necessary. With its completion the journey from Rhodesia to England would he stortened by one to two weeks.

This line, as Sir Charles points out, is one of the big branches of the Cape-to-Cairo system. The _ Belgians are further proposing to build an extension from the Katanga line north to Bahama, from which point the Congo is navigable for nearly 900 miles. A further line of 350 miles from Stanleyville to Lake Albert Edward, which has already been surveyed, would complete tlie communication with the Cape-to-Cairo ' system.