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:''This article is part of the history of rail transport by country series'' The history of rail transport in Lesotho began in 1905, when the landlocked nation of Lesotho was connected with the railway network of South Africa. The two nations have remained connected by a single railway line ever since. ==Beginnings== In 1902, the Central South African Railways began construction of the Bloemfontein–Bethlehem railway, which was intended to link the Orange River Colony (as it was then known) with the port of Durban. To make the line viable, it was desired that it should serve Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, but for the sake of economy it was decided to build the main line along a shorter route and connect Maseru by a branch line from Marseilles to Maseru, including a new bridge over the Caledon River ((ソト語:Mohokare)). The new Maseru branch line was completed in October 1905〔(''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition (1910–1911), "Basutoland". )〕 and opened on 18 December 1905.〔 Within Lesotho, it was long, from the Caledon River / ''Mohokare'' border bridge to the station at Maseru.〔 Initially, both passenger and freight rail services were operated. Lesotho has few natural resources and relies heavily on large-scale export of labour to South Africa. The opening of the railway facilitated that traffic. Previously, most Lesotho men engaged in migrant labour had walked from Lesotho to South African mines. According to one source, the new railway "... proved a great boon to the community."〔 However, another source claims that the construction of the railway and the demobilization of the auxiliary corps in South Africa were perceived by Lesotho's Basotho people as an attempt to place Lesotho under the South African colonies. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「History of rail transport in Lesotho」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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