Madagascar: the Train of Life

Overview

If ever a train deserved its name, it’s the “Train of Life”. Without it, 100 000 people on this remote inland region of Eastern Madagascar would be completely cut off from the world. Emmanuelle Han climbs on board this clinking-clanking convoy from Fianarantsoa to Manakara travelling 163 kilometers along its 67 bridges and 48 tunnels. Welcome to this local version of a TGV, a Train of Great Vibrations… No reservations necessary and overbooking guaranteed! From high plateaus to the shores of the Indian Ocean via grandiose landscapes, each stop is an occasion to visit these isolated villages and discover a local economy held together by a thundering thread of steel that’s 75 years old.