NRZ closes Harare - Mutare line

The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has temporarily suspended operations on the Harare–Mutare railway line following a major derailment near Odzi, close to the eastern border city of Mutare, on Tuesday.

In a statement on Wednesday, the NRZ said four wagons carrying ferrochrome bound for the Mozambican port of Beira were derailed due to track washaways caused by persistent heavy rains affecting large parts of the country.

"The NRZ informs its valued customers and stakeholders of the temporary closure of the Mutare–Harare line following a major derailment at Odzi. The derailment affected four wagons loaded with ferrochrome destined for the Port of Beira," the statement read.

The closure has effectively cut off rail traffic between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, occurring barely two weeks after the Chicualacuala–Maputo line was shut down due to flooding in Mozambique.

The NRZ warned that the disruption of these two critical corridors will severely affect regional trade. "The closure of the two corridors will severely affect trade between the two countries, as well as transit traffic to Botswana and Zambia," it said.

Railway analysts caution that derailments and prolonged line closures carry heavy economic costs, including export delays, increased logistics costs from diverting cargo to road transport, and lost foreign currency earnings. Zimbabwe's mining and manufacturing sectors, which rely heavily on rail for bulk cargo such as minerals and agricultural produce, are among the hardest hit.

NRZ said recovery operations are underway at Odzi, with teams working to salvage the ferrochrome cargo, which fortunately remained intact. "Recovery efforts are underway in Odzi, with teams now working on salvaging the ferrochrome. Thereafter, re-railing will begin following the realignment of the tracks," the parastatal said, adding that it expects the line to reopen by the weekend.

The derailment comes as NRZ pushes to revamp its operations after years of infrastructure decay, capacity constraints, and declining freight volumes. The parastatal has intensified track rehabilitation, equipment maintenance, and regional corridor restoration as part of efforts to improve reliability, boost cargo throughput, and reclaim business lost to road transport.

NRZ has emphasised that restoring customer confidence and operational efficiency remains central to its recovery strategy, particularly as Zimbabwe seeks to strengthen export-led growth and regional integration.