Mozambique Railways (CFM) and the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) have signed landmark agreements that will allow CFM to operate its locomotives in Zimbabwe.
The partnership aims to streamline freight movement between Mozambique and Zimbabwe by providing businesses with more reliable and cost-effective freight rail services.
Officials from both entities attended the signing ceremony in Maputo last week, including CFM Chairman, Agostinho Langa Júnior, CFM Executive Director, Cândido Jone, NRZ Chairman, Michael Madiro, and NRZ General Manager, Ainah Dube-Kaguru.
The two new operational understanding agreements apply to key rail corridors linking Mozambique and Zimbabwe. These include the Southern Corridor, which covers the 148-kilometre route from Chicualacuala to Rutenga, and the Central Corridor, which stretches for 84 kilometres between Machipanda and Nyazura.
Under the agreements, CFM will supply operational locomotives in appropriate condition, staff to operate its trains on the routes, and the fuel and other consumables required to sustain at least two daily round-trips between the countries.
In return, NRZ has committed to provide adequate cargo volumes for the routes and to maintain the railway infrastructure to ensure the safe movement of CFM’s locomotives on the rail network.
The latest agreements follow CFM’s agreement with South Africa’s Transnet Freight Rail in April 2023, which facilitates cross-border train operations between Mpumalanga and the Port of Maputo.
The deal allows trains to operate without locomotive changes at the border, reducing freight transit times and improving efficiency.
The first phase of the collaboration led to a 23% boost in magnetite export volumes.
The agreement was later expanded to include chrome and ferrochrome exports and the operation of three trains daily.
