Botswana Rail positions itself as intermodal operator

Road competition forces decisive action
Kevin Mayhew
BOTSWANA RAILWAYS is in the middle of a five year plan – which ends in 2008 – to make itself a world class provider of transport services primarily to clients moving bulk commodities and containerised cargo, according to the business manager (south), Mogomele Mondira, in Gaborone. Staff restructuring is currently underway as it faces the challenges of becoming a fully fledged intermodal service provider, particularly at its Gaborone and Francistown Container Terminals. Its main bulk products include soda ash, coal (mainly from Botswana) and coarse and refined salt. There is also significant movement of fuel. “It is about more than just providing local infrastructure that works to the advantage of our clients in terms of efficiency. We also need to provide a service at a cost that makes it attractive. On the container side, we are aware that we have a formidable competitor in road, which presently offers many advantages for clients requiring just in time logistics solutions. We have to provide a service that can compete against that,” he explained. Already it is possible to manifest in both Gaborone and Francistown for imports or exports to and from anywhere in the world. Its efforts are also being aided by South African Revenue Service (SARS) which is introducing systems that reduce stoppage times. In some cases goods can be cleared inland and there are no hold-ups at the border. Reflecting a changing trend, Mondira says Botswana Railways has already increased its container traffic by 8%, despite increased competition from the Beit Bridge to Bulawayo railway link. “In a way this threat has been good as it made us look at the issue of becoming a total logistics provider, and that is now the objective of our plans by 2008,” he adds. Botswana Railways – which remains 100% government owned - operates 640 kilometers of rail line and has its own maintenance facilities for its track, rolling stock and locomotives in Mahalaphie 200 kilometers north of the capital.