Senegal’s only passenger railway line extended east from Dakar to Bamako in Mali. The connection formed part of a wider railway network of approximately 900 kilometers in Senegal, while the northern route from Dakar to Saint-Louis carried freight only. The Dakar–Bamako service therefore held a distinctive role in moving people and goods across the interior of West Africa.

The train carried freight, passengers, and baggage during a journey lasting between 24 and 36 hours. Small traders, mostly women, used the service extensively and occupied freight cars, hallways, spaces between cars, and even bathrooms. Their presence illustrates the railway’s importance not only as formal infrastructure but also as a channel for small-scale commercial activity.

Travel was slowed by a major border delay. Engines had to be changed because the line was operated by two companies, while customs officials from both countries completed clearance procedures. The route thus connected Dakar and Bamako while also exposing travelers and traders to the administrative and technical constraints of a cross-border railway.