this is kisangani station. there's one short run left., which isn't often, i'm guessing. abandoned by the belgians, the shot up and stripped by the rebels in the '90s, the station, the engines, the ancient passenger cars, and the tracks themselves, have slowly receded into the jungle. and yet all these years later, with hardly any resources, alub emile, the railway administrator and a staff of clerks, conductors, mechanics and engineers show up at work and do what they can in an attempt to keep things in working order. how do you do? >> he says you're welcome to see this place. >> how many employees still work here? [ speaking foreign language ] >> so at one time you could dispatch a freight to south africa? [ speaking foreign language ] so a hypothetical question -- if the government said, okay, we are ready. we have the money, we would like to as quickly as possible get operational, does he have the workers ready to go? [ speaking foreign language ] >> and this is one of the few things here that's working today. a feature of great pride

this is kisangani station. there's one short run left.ften, i'm guessing. abandoned by the belgians, shot up and stripped by the rebels in the '90s, the station, the engines, the ancient passenger cars, and the tracks themselves, have slowly receded into the jungle. and yet all these years later, with hardly any resources, alub emile, the railway administrator and a staff of clerks, conductors, mechanics and engineers show up at work and do what they can in an attempt to keep things in working order. >> the railway employees, i'm told, do not get paid, yet they continue to show up at work. >> it is said of the building of the country's once vast rail network, one congolese died for every single tie. like many congolese we meet, they are, all these years later and in spite of everything that's happened, ready and waiting for the situation to improve. >> there's a great line in the beginning of "apocalypse now," i wanted a mission and for my sins, they gave me one. i wanted to come to the congo for as long as i've been telling stories or ma