The Desert Train: A Journey Through the Sahara to the Atlantic Coast

Mauritania, a country that is nearly 90 percent desert in Africa’s Sahel region and independent since 1960, takes pride in its legendary iron train — a lifeline that carries vast loads of iron ore across the Sahara to the Atlantic coast.

In this episode of On the Rails, the train becomes more than transportation; it becomes a gateway to discovering a nation. This documentary series renews the genre of rail travel by slowing down to meet people, listen to their stories, and experience daily life along the route.