Taking the iron ore train from Nouadhibou

Updated 14 November 2026

Can you still take the iron ore train?

Yes, in the passenger car. The train that carries iron ore from the mines of Zouérate to the port of Nouadhibou, 704 km by our February 2025 notes, also has cars for passengers. According to the SNIM notice of 9 December 2024, that service is run by SOMASERT, the tourism subsidiary of the mining company SNIM.

According to Scoot West Africa (21 February 2025), riding the wagons now means hiding from the authorities: in February 2025, SNIM took a group off the train with the gendarmerie present, and tour operators and guides were threatened with penalties. The UK Foreign Office (advice updated on 19 October 2026) adds that travelling outside the passenger carriages is illegal and carries a significant risk of serious injury, with no adequate medical facilities in the region. We don't explain how to get on the wagons.

Where to buy the ticket, and how much it costs

The ticket is sold at Nouadhibou railway station, on the edge of town (checked in November 2026). In our notes published in February 2025, there was no online booking or advance reservation: you bought the ticket at the station before the train left.

In our February 2025 notes, the passenger car cost 250 MRU, and a taxi to the station 50 MRU. We haven't checked these prices again since, so expect them to have changed. Those notes also say the car is often full and no seat is guaranteed: get there early.

What time does the train leave?

The train usually leaves Nouadhibou around 4 pm (checked in November 2026), but the time changes from one train to the next. It is not fixed in advance: ask at the station on the day you travel.

How long to Choum, and how to go on from there

Choum is where you get off for Atar and the Adrar. Mauritania Experience, in its guide read on 14 November 2026, gives 8 to 12 hours between Choum and Nouadhibou. In our February 2025 notes, the full run between Zouérate and Nouadhibou took 16 to 18 hours. Arrival times are hard to predict, and you may reach Choum in the middle of the night.

According to Mauritania Experience, Choum has no public transport and Atar is 3 to 4 hours away by 4x4 on a desert track, so arrange your onward transport before you leave Nouadhibou.

What to bring

• Water and food for the whole trip: in our February 2025 notes, nothing was sold on board.
• Warm clothes and a sleeping bag. Our February 2025 notes give over 40 °C by day and close to 0 °C at night, depending on the season.
• A scarf against the dust, and bags to protect your backpack: according to Mauritania Experience, iron ore dust still reaches the passenger car.

Safety advisories along the line

These advisories concern areas on or near the route, from Nouadhibou onwards, not only beyond Choum. Read both, with their maps, before you take the train, and check whether your travel insurance covers the trip.