Botswana Rail has revived a plan to build a link through Kazungula into Zambia, because so much business has been lost to the Beit Bridge-Bulawayo line. Botswana says there has been a 37% decline in traffic since the line was built to 725 000 tonnes a year, with revenue plunging 29% to 25 million pula. Cost-cutting is being undertaken, with the number of employees being reduced to a minimum of 800 from the existing 1100. For the fiscal year to April 2001, Botswana Rail estimates there was an operating loss of 13 million pula compared with a profit of 2 million pula the previous year.
