NRZ works to restore rail operations
TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
Zimbabwe’s State-owned railways company, the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), is working to restore rail operations amid revelations it has begun rehabilitating its outdated and dilapidated railway network across the country, a company executive has said.
“…We are targeting those areas that are of critical concern. Over the past three months, we procured 4 000 slippers and we managed to clear about 2.5 km (in various locations across the country),” company spokesperson Andrew Kunambura told Business Times.
He added: “Then we have also been attending to areas of concern particularly establishment of bad curves in the Mutare- Machipanda railway line where we have (been rehabilitating the aged track with), installing 1 000 slippers. We are looking at installing rails over a section of about 3km of track.”.
Kunambura told Business Times that NRZ has lost equipment worth millions of dollars through theft and vandalism.
“We have also continued the routine of railway maintenance to continue to correct various defects arising from vandalism and sometimes derailments. This exercise is ongoing and we will try to ensure the operations are kept alive throughout the year,” he said.
Analysts said an efficient railway system will lessen the burden on the road infrastructure.
Apparently, bulk consignments are being transported through major highways instead of rail infrastructure. This has been attributed to the collapse of Zimbabwe’s road network.
Government has pledged to avail ZWL$2bn to recapitalise NRZ, which is battling a myriad of challenges including ageing railway line, depleted rolling stock fleet and old coaches, among many other crippling problems.
Six years ago, the government awarded the US$400m tender to recapitalise NRZ to South Africa’s Transnet, which partnered a consortium of non-resident Zimbabweans- the Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group (DIDG).
Although, NRZ, required about US$2bn to turn around its fortunes, the US$400m would have helped reposition NRZ for self-sustenance as the rail company’s network provides a vital link between landlocked countries like Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo as well as seaports in South Africa and Mozambique.
It was hoped that the restoration of NRZ’s operational capacity will renew confidence in industry and make the parastatal a preferred and cheaper mover of bulk freight in and outside the country.
But, the government cancelled the NRZ/DIDG deal two years ago after it failed to take off.
At its peak, the NRZ’s transport business was racking in more than 90% of the company’s revenue, shipping about 18 million tonnes in 1998 but has significantly plummeted to about 2 million tonnes of cargo annually.
