Which ONE of the following statements about the railway lines of Africa is false?
Answer Details
The statement that is false is: "Africa's railway lines are all of uniform gauge."
Explanation:
A railway line's gauge is the distance between the rails on a track. In Africa, there are different gauges of railway lines, which makes it challenging for trains to move across borders or between different railway systems.
For instance, in Southern Africa, there are three different gauges: Cape gauge (1067mm), which is used in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, narrow gauge (610mm), which is used in Angola, and meter gauge (1000mm), which is used in Mozambique, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In East Africa, the standard gauge (1435mm) is being implemented in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda to create a modern, efficient, and connected railway system.
Therefore, Africa's railway lines are not of uniform gauge, making it challenging for cross-border transportation and requiring a switch of trains and cargo handling equipment.