Nam makes headway on rail upgrades

The Namibian government is investing in upgrading all of its old railway lines that have fallen into disrepair over the past few years, with two of the major freight trading lines scheduled to be completed this year. Kilus Nguvauva, deputy minister of works and transport for Namibia, told FTW that the line linking the Namibian Port of Lüderitz to Aus – spanning a distance of 139 kilometres – was scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. The rehabilitation and upgrading of the 15-kilometre railway line between Otjiwarongo and Tsumeb, started in January last year by D&M Rail Construction company, is also on track. Nguvauva urged the business community transporting goods between the coastal towns and the northern parts of Namibia as well as into neighbouring countries to consider rail transport.