Railway System can be categorized according to their purpose, type of track, power and speed.
The purpose category is the most used and conventional, which easily features the other categories. It is the main division of trains today.

For purpose we have four types of Rails and they are:

1. Monorails

2. Metro Rail

3. Light Rail

4. Commutter Rail / Surburban Rail


For Type of Track we have four and they are:

1. Narrow Guage

2. Standard Guage

3. Broad Guage

4. Metre Guage


For Power we have two and they are:

1. Diesel Powered Trains

2. Electricity powered Trains


For Speed we have two also and they are:

1. Slow Trains

2. Average Speed Train

3. High Speed Train (Bullet Trains)


The purpose category easily identifies what each train is meant to do and it can either use the Standard Guage or Narrow Guage. The Standard Guage Track (SGR) is the modern way for laying tracks. Trains too can either be powered by diesel or electricity. Slow Trains are old model of trains but still very much used in many countries. Average Speed Train runs an average of 100km/hour. High Speed Train runs like 250km/hour and above. There are few countries in the world using this type of trains.

Note: Any train service that uses Standard Guage Track (SGR), has a light and aesthetically designed body and has exclusive right of way with visible tracks and runs at an average speed of100km/h and above is a modern train system.

Let's look at what Monorail, Metrorail, Light rail and Commutter rail are all about

Monorail

a. It has one rail and it is separate.

b. It operates on an elevated structure like a flyover either as suspended type or straddled type.

c. It is not as expensive as Metro rail

d. It's an Intra-city rail

e. It's more like a mini type of metro rail


Metro Rail
a. Used in Metropolitan City

b. Carries only passengers

c. Tracks are either underground (tunnel) or high above the ground level (flyover).

d. It's track is independent (That is, have exclusive right of way. It does not share with other people or other transit system)

e. It's for Rapid Mass Transit. It's frequency is higher than light rail

f. It's length is Shorter compare to light rail

e. Heavy Rail type (Modern ones are not as heavy as the old ones)

g. Intra-city Rail


Light Rail/Tramways

Light Rail : Entry floor is low
Trams: Entry floor is high

a. It can operate on a road or laid tracks on the ground which is not that expansive unlike overhead or tunnel laid tracks

b. It's frequency of movement is not as much as Metro.

c. It's body is small, frame is lighter and it is often power by electric overhead system.

d. Because of its "lighter" size and tighter turning radius, light rail has the ability to operate along crowded city streets and in urban corridors with frequent stops, where quick acceleration and deceleration are necessary.

e. It features some traits of Metro rail to be light-metro rail in our modern times today

f. It is used within an Urban area


Commuter Rail or Suburban Rail

a. It is bigger in size, has more seats and less standing room

b. It is majorly used for transporting passengers

c. It covers longer distances

d. It has lower frequency of service (that is, it operates scheduled service in which it runs at specific times rather than at specific intervals)

e. It serves lower-density suburban areas by connecting suburbs to the city center sharing track or right-of-way with intercity/freight trains

f. It's a heavy rail type, though the modern ones are not as heavy as the old ones.



Countries of Africa And Their Type of Trains

Monorail

There are only two countries in Africa that has Monorail. Namely:

1. South Africa
a. Expo Centrek Monorail, Nasrec, Johannesburg
b. Sun City Casino Resort Monorail

2. Nigeria
a. Calabar Monorail, Obudu Cattle ranch, Obudu


Metro Rail

There are two countries in Africa that has Metro rail. Namely:

1. Egypt
a. Cairo Metro, Cairo

2. Algeria
a. Algiers Metro, Algiers


Light Rail/Tramways

There are 7 countries in Africa that light rail/Tramways in Africa. Four of the countries have light rails while the remaining countries have Tramways. The countries are as below:

1. Nigeria
a. Abuja Light Rail, Abuja (Light-metro rail)

2. Ethopia
a. Addis Ababa Light Rail, Addis Ababa (light rail)

3. Mauritius
a. Mauritius Metro Express Light rail, Port Louis & the Plaines Wilhems District (light rail)

4. Tunisia
a. Métro léger de Tunis, Tunis (light rail)

5. Algeria
a. Algiers tramway, Algiers
b. Constantine tramway, Constantine
c. Oran tramway, Oran
d. Ouargla tramway
e. Sétif tramway
f. Sidi Bel Abbès tramway

6. Egypt
a. Alexandria tramway network, Alexandria

7. Morocco
a. Casablanca tramway, Casablanca
b. Rabat-Salé tramway, Rabat–Salé


Commuter Rail or Suburban Rail

There are seven countries who operates optimally commutter rail/surburban rail in Africa.

1. Morocco
a. Al Bidaoui, Morocco

2. Senegal
a. Petit train de banlieue, Dakar-Thiès (Modern)

3. South Africa
a. Metrorail Western Cape, Cape Town
b. Metrorail KwaZulu-Natal, Durban
c. Metrorail Eastern Cape, East London
d. Metrorail Gauteng, Johannesburg/Pretoria
e. Gautrain, Johannesburg/Pretoria (Modern)
f. Metrorail Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth

4. Kenya
a. Nairobi rail service, Nairobi (Modern)

5. Nigeria
a. National Rail Service, Abuja (Abuja-Kaduna) -Modern
b. National Rail Service, Lagos (Lagos-Ibadan) -Modern
c. National Rail Service, Warri (Warri-Ajaokuta-Itakpe) -Modern

6.Tanzania
a. Dar es Salaam commuter rail, Dar es Salaam

7. Botswana
a. Botswana Railways (BR Express), Gaborone


High Speed Rail (Bullet Trains)

The only country that has this in Africa is Morroco
Al-Boraq, Morroco

From the above especially under commutter rail, its possible to have some countries that have their rail service working but the ones listed above are the ones that are working effectively up to optimal capacity and also on record. Also there are some countries that have theirs under contruction.

Africa is growing and developing. It is our desire to see Africa of our dreams in no distant time.


Check the article to see the images of the different trains that exist in the link below

https://www.rhitten.com/rhites/the-different-types-of-railway-systems-across-african-countries--f90bbb95g0e64

Nigeria is really trying in terms of Railway infrastructure in Africa. We have Monorail, Light Rail and Commutter Rails.... Metro Rail in Lagos is still under construction.

impressive

Algiers metro

Tramway , oran algeria

Tramways in Algeria

each city have its color

Algiers Bleu
Oran Red
Constantine Green
Sidi belabes Gold
Ouargla Grey
Mostaganem Azure
Setif red raspberry

The railway system in africa is trash!

Akunwafor:
The railway system in africa is trash!

Why did you say it's a trash?

Lalasticlala and other mods..how far nah!!! Can we know what others think about Railway System in Africa...front page ooo

S400:
Tramways in Algeria

each city have its color

Algiers Bleu
Oran Red
Constantine Green
Sidi belabes Gold
Ouargla Grey
Mostaganem Azure
Setif red raspberry

In Railway system in Africa... it seems Algeria kill it ooo... they seem to be the baddest ooo...respect to them sha. But Nigeria is doing well too...

some algerian trains , 160 km/h speed

moroccan high speed train

If u know u have Neva used a train b4, pls let gather here for town meeting.

S400:
some algerian trains , 160 km/h speed

Wow!!! The speed is high ooo. Good one

S400:
moroccan high speed train

One day Nigeria will have a high speed train that can make the journey between Abuja and Lagos 3 hours.