Classic route
Matadi–Kinshasa
Matadi → Kinshasa · DR Congo
Reopened in September 2025 after a five-year landslide closure, now worked at weekends by KiHa 183 railcars shipped from Japan, relinking Kinshasa to its Atlantic port.
How this line was checked
- Line drawn from OpenStreetMap relation 401053 — the same nodes OpenStreetMap holds for this railway, thinned to within 64 m of them
- Checked against OpenStreetMap: the whole line lies on real track, a median 13 m from it
- The operator publishes this line's timetable: SCTP — a place to look it up, not a check of our drawing
- Wikipedia has an article for this line
- See for yourself: open this line on the map with OpenStreetMap's own railway drawn underneath it
Questions and answers
How long is the Matadi–Kinshasa?
The Matadi–Kinshasa runs 366 km from Matadi to Kinshasa.
How long does the Matadi–Kinshasa take?
The fastest scheduled journey is 8 h for the 366 km. That is an average of 46 km/h end to end. The line's top service speed is 60 km/h.
Who runs the Matadi–Kinshasa?
SCTP, with KiHa 183 railcars (ex-JR Hokkaido).
How old is the Matadi–Kinshasa?
The line has been in service since 1898. That is the year the atlas dates it from: for a modern brand running over an older railway, it is the railway's date, not the brand's.
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