After a six-year hiatus, during which it reached an advanced state of disrepair, the 272-kilometre rail line in north-western Mozambique between Cuamba and Lichinga – where it links up with a line to the Port of Nacala - was reopened last Thursday.
The reconstruction project cost the equivalent of almost R1.4 billion, part of which (over R650 million) was funded by coal company Vale Moçambique.
The contract included construction work of new bridges, removal of landmines, mitigating the effects of erosion, and removal of the bushes that had grown over the track in the six years it was out of commission.
The line will have the capacity to transport one million tons of cargo per year.
