State looks to private sector to revive rail

The Namibian
government is looking
to the private sector to
help expand and run the
country’s rail network through
public private partnership (PPP)
agreements.
Major rail projects on the
cards include
linking Walvis
Bay to Zambia,
Botswana to
Walvis Bay,
and Lüderitz
Bay to the
Northern
Cape.
Saurabh Suneja, director of
the newly formed ministry of
public private partnerships,
says the PPP policy for Namibia
was approved by cabinet in
2012, and the proposed PPP
legislation has been tabled in
parliament.
Finance minister Calle
Schlettwein told international
investors in Windhoek in
November 2016 that one of the PPP
initiatives identified by government
was investment in rolling stock,
as well as track
upgrading and
the “operation of
specific freightintensive
rail
routes”.
The
“Masterplan for
development of
an international logistics hub for
SADC countries in the Republic
of Namibia” says that the utility
TransNamib estimates that rail
will carry around six million tons
of cargo a year by 2025.
“In this case, the rail cargo
transport share will increase
from 12% in 2013 to 15% in
2025
“This shift of cargo volume
to rail will improve conditions
on the roads, especially on those
sections between Swakopmund
and Okahandja,” says the
masterplan.
Actions to support rail
identified in the Masterplan
include “comprehensive
rehabilitation/ upgrade of
three major lines to improve
reliability and speed;
development of new cargo
trains to meet increase in
bulk/container cargo demand;
and investment in locomotives
and loading facilities
(umbrella agreement,
outsourcing)”.
INSERT
6mt 
The projected volume that
rail will carry by 2025.