Rail is making a comeback
in Mozambique and along
the corridors served by its
ports – albeit slowly.
There is no need for road
hauliers to start worrying just
yet as the volumes are growing
too fast for rail to catch up in the
short to medium term. However,
the movement of bulk off the road
to rail is supported in principle
by most people and companies
involved in logistics in the region –
even the truckers.
One of the most interesting
developments is the export of
coal from Botswana through
Zimbabwe to Maputo by rail. A
trial load of 1 600 tons carried in
34 wagons proved the viability of
the route in November 2012.
This has the potential of
providing the motivation and
funding for the maintenance and
upgrading of a line that will serve
other exporters and importers
along the 1 300 km line, which
runs through the
southern half
of Zimbabwe,
entering
Mozambique at
Chicualacuala.
This avoids
the congested
Ressano Garcia line between the
Lebombo border post in South
Africa and Maputo. Although it
was rehabilitated between 2006
and 2009, work has started on a
major upgrade to handle heavier
and longer trains.
Further north, the first train
in 25 years from Beira to Lusaka
along the Machipanda railroad
delivered 1 050 tons of inorganic
fertilisers in October 2013.
According to Mozambican daily
newspaper Notícias, it was the
first train to travel to Zambia in
25 years, after the link was closed
during the 1976-1992 civil war.
The reopening of the line was
delayed by the failure of a company
that had the
concession to
run the Beira
railroad system
to deliver on its
commitments.
These first 1 050
tons are part of
a bigger lot of 10000 tons at the
port complex.
The cargo train was made up
of 25 trucks that on their return
will carry copper for export to the
European, Asian, American and
Australian markets.
At the ceremony to mark the
re-launch of the rail service,
the governor of Sofala province,
Félix Paulo, said that between
the beginning of the year and
the end of September 2.8 million
tons of cargo had been carried on
the two railway lines that make
up the Beira railroad system,
which was an increase of 32%
compared with the same period
in 2012.
INSERT
32% The increase in traffic on the Beira railroad
system from January to September this
year.
