Business / Companies
NRZ to build $1,7bn railway line
02 Jun 2014 at 05:18hrs | Views
The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) will soon embark on an ambitious project to construct more than 350 kilometres of railway that connects Chiredzi with Mutare through Chisumbanje as well as with Mozambique at an estimated cost of $1,7 billion.
The proposed railway line is expected to improve local trade and exports.
NRZ Bulawayo chief engineer Phillip Chifamba told The Zimbabwe Mail at the unveiling of the €5,8 million Nandi-Mkwasine railway line project in Chiredzi on Friday that the new railway line would be costly but a worthy project.
The line will be constructed using 40 kg rails instead of the 30kg rails which will increase the carrying capacity for the locomotives.
"This means we will be able to add the carrying load of the locomotives, in short this will increase the efficiency of the rail system in the areas it will cover," Chifamba said.
The new railway line is expected to cost at least $5 million per each kilometre for all the input requirements and labour to lay the lines.
Chifamba said that the 34,5 km Nandi-Mkwasine railway line which is under rehabilitation would be completed by March 2015 after which the rail company would engage new development partners for the 350km rail line.
"The railway links Mkwasine to the Tongaat Hulett mills at Triangle and Hippo Valley where in excess of 700 000 tonnes of cane per year will be moved.
"To date 17,29km has been upgraded with funding from the European Union and the project is now progressing to the second phase of completion," Chifamba said.
The line which historically was a private siding was handed to NRZ in March 2013 and is now a public line under the parastatal.
By handing the rail control and maintenance to NRZ, farmers will not be charged for maintenance costs of the line going forward.
He added that negotiations were progressing between the communities and NRZ, to come up with a solution for future rail charges that will be much lower than ordinary charges to enable the NRZ to recover the cost of the investment.
The proposed railway line is expected to improve local trade and exports.
NRZ Bulawayo chief engineer Phillip Chifamba told The Zimbabwe Mail at the unveiling of the €5,8 million Nandi-Mkwasine railway line project in Chiredzi on Friday that the new railway line would be costly but a worthy project.
The line will be constructed using 40 kg rails instead of the 30kg rails which will increase the carrying capacity for the locomotives.
"This means we will be able to add the carrying load of the locomotives, in short this will increase the efficiency of the rail system in the areas it will cover," Chifamba said.
The new railway line is expected to cost at least $5 million per each kilometre for all the input requirements and labour to lay the lines.
"The railway links Mkwasine to the Tongaat Hulett mills at Triangle and Hippo Valley where in excess of 700 000 tonnes of cane per year will be moved.
"To date 17,29km has been upgraded with funding from the European Union and the project is now progressing to the second phase of completion," Chifamba said.
The line which historically was a private siding was handed to NRZ in March 2013 and is now a public line under the parastatal.
By handing the rail control and maintenance to NRZ, farmers will not be charged for maintenance costs of the line going forward.
He added that negotiations were progressing between the communities and NRZ, to come up with a solution for future rail charges that will be much lower than ordinary charges to enable the NRZ to recover the cost of the investment.
Source - Zim Mail
