MBABANE – Swaziland Railway will spend R8 billion to construct its portion of a line being built in partnership with Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and connecting Lothair, SA with the Swazi rail system. The original cost estimate was R5 billion before a feasibility study gave a clearer picture of the final amount required. Swaziland Railway is a government parastatal, and will take out loans to cover its share of the line’s construction cost. Eventually the Lothair Line will allow rail freight to proceed directly from Gauteng to Maputo via Swaziland, which will cut down on shipping time and cost. Both TFR and Swaziland Railway have reportedly spent R150 million each on a feasibility study now nearing its conclusion, for a total of R300 million used to select the line’s pathway and address myriad other details from earthworks required along the route to the relocation of residents whose homes lie in the line’s path.
