The ongoing development of rail-port infrastructure in Mozambique has the potential to make the country’s corridors some of the most sought-after in the region, according to Adélio Dias, director of communication for Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM), the government-owned railway company of Mozambique.“Thanks to our geographic location, the advantage of some of our existing facilities, the resources in our country, along with the ongoing investments we are making, there are many opportunities for Mozambique. Another benefit, of course, is the easy access to China, India and the Middle East.”Dias said rail continued to offer a viable option for the movement of bulk minerals in the country but was also increasingly being considered for containers.A total of 77% or 4 752 357 metric tons of magnetite were transported by road for a total of 6 206 000 metric tons in 2021. “More than 50% of coal is moved by rail, and last year saw 1 162 009 metric tons moved by rail of a total of 2 069 000 metric tons.”He said at present only 18% of chrome was on rail and 10% of fuel as the bulk of these commodities was still on road. “The majority of containers are still transported by road, with only around 15% currently on rail,” he told Freight News.He added that growing capacity both in the ports and railways in the country would be a priority for the forseeable future.
