Lesotho’s rail efforts on track

In anticipation of a railway for the small landlocked country, Lesotho will send a delegation to all future meetings of the Southern African Railway Association (Sara) whose members include all SADC nations with rail systems. “Lesotho was our main topic at our last meeting, and we agreed to support their efforts to build a rail system. Because Lesotho does not have a railway company, they will send representatives from government to Sara meetings,” Sara executive Gideon Mahlalela told FTW. Currently, the rail line from SA ends at a 2 km cul de sac near the Lesotho border, where trains turn around after unloading, but studies have been conducted for the creation of a nationwide system. “They went to South Africa and were directed to see us in Swaziland because we have experience with a smaller railway. We will give them technical assistance,” said Mahlalela, who is CEO of Swaziland Railway. A Lesotho rail system would allow rail freight in transit from Bloemfontein a shorter route to Durban. A line would also enable Lesotho to exploit more of its mineral resources, especially granite, which can be moved more cost-efficiently by rail than road. “The export traffic out of Lesotho is there because they have a lot of granite rock. The quarries can provide granite for buildings and tombstones in Europe,” said Mahlalela.