Modernisation of the economically vital Trans-Gabon Railway continues in a bid to improve safety and efficiency. Aside from transporting goods on the 648 kilometre cross country line connecting Franceville in the interior to the coastal capital city of Libreville, it is also a vital lifeline for passengers for whom the renovation can't come quick enough. "Sometimes you have crossings and it can take hours and hours in a station in the middle of nowhere," says one. "It's a real pain, and there are often derailments." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES N°38UE6T2