Comesa pushes for rail infrastructure investment

MBABANE – Delegates brainstormed ways to boost rail infrastructure regionally and in the member countries of the southern Africa common market at the recent Comesa Meeting of Infrastructure and Transport in Swaziland. Rail network density in most African nations now averages 30 to 50 km per one million people. South Africa is one exception, with a rail network density of 400 km per one million people. “With countries in Africa large and transporting distances great, we face the frustrating situation that for distances beyond 400 km rail transport is far cheaper than road, yet by necessity most of our goods are being transported by road at a much higher cost,” noted Swaziland Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini in his address to the conference. Road and air infrastructure investment remain ahead of rail, national delegates reported in their submissions.