Coal will gobble up rail capacity

LEONARD NEILL
DIVERSE CARGO, in excess of 3million tons annually, passes through Manica Freight Services Mozambique and the figures are forever on the increase, says group operations director Ahmed Chothia.
“We are currently handling an annual export of 500 000 tons of sugar from both Swaziland and South Africa. About a quarter of this is in bulk. The European Union takes half of the export volumes and a quarter goes to the US.
“Ferrochrome figures for export are around the quarter million tons mark, while major grain imports, destined mainly for Zimbabwe, are ongoing.”
But, says Chothia, most of the goods arriving in Maputo for export are trucked in by road, and there is little chance of this changing to any great extent when the rail line from South Africa is eventually upgraded.
“Coal is likely to take up the bulk of wagon space when that day arrives,” he says. “The mines in Mpumalanga are waiting for it to happen, and I forecast that three quarters of the available rail space will go to them. The road transport system has built up powerfully while we have had reduced rail capability, and road’s strength is not likely to be eroded to any great extent when rail comes on in full force as a competitor.”
Chothia’s company represents 40 shipping lines and handles in excess of 500 ships a year.