The first railways in Sudan were constructed for military purposes by the British with what became the main line from Wadi Halfa on the border with Egypt, to Khartoum being opened at the end of the 19th century. The opening of the branch from Atbara to Port Sudan on the Red Sea in 1905, established what has become the most signifant route in recent times, that from Khartoum to the coast. Elsewhere, and even here, lack of investment & maintenance combined with political upheavals has resulted in a serious decline in railway operations; with some sections not having seen any traffic for many years, although this situation is now improving once more.

There are plans & proposals around both to reopen currently closed sections of line and establish new links to neighbouring countries. Nyala in western Sudan westwards to the capital of Chad, a standard gauge line from Abbis Ababa in Ehiopia to Khartoum, and an extension of Egyptian Railways from Aswan to Wadi Halfa.
The line to Wau in South Sudan was one of those sections closed for many years due to civil war; but since South Sudan independence this has been rebuilt and here too, there are plans for extending this to the capital - Juba. Further proposals are floating around for links on into Uganda & Kenya.

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