TRAIN WHISTLES AGAIN AFTER 37 YEARS WAIT ALONG MOZAMBIQUE-MALAWI RAILWAY

Ports and Railways of Mozambique (CFM) has announced that it has successfully run the first official railway journey from Vila Nova da Fronteira in Mozambique to Malawi – a train transporting material for the reconstruction of the Malawian railway line.

The cargo of cement, belonging to the Chinese Company CR20, which is responsible for rebuilding the line in the neighbouring country, left Porto da Beira.

CR20 judges that most of the material used in the work will pass through Vila Nova da Fronteira.

The execution of this important project, in response to the logistics challenges of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), follows a meeting between the presidents of Mozambique and Malawi, held in Songo, Tete, in late 2020.

With national labour and its own funds, CFM carried out its own part, a 44-km extension project, within the specified period, and is waiting for its Malawian counterpart, whose works are currently at the stage of material mobilization and earthworks.

The Dona Ana-Vila Nova da Fronteira railway line has been mothballed since September, 1986, an era of destabilizing conflict.

The reopening of the line will initially allow the transit of commercial cargo trains from the Port of Beira to neighbouring Malawi. Passenger trains, a CFM corporate social responsibility goal, will follow.

The reconstructed line has a capacity of 20.5 tons per axle, against the previous 16.5 tons, and circulation speed will increase from the previous 30 km/hour to 60 km/h. This results in transporting capacity of 3.0 MTPA with the possibility of more, according to demand.

The execution of this project follows from the meeting between the heads of state of Mozambique and Malawi in Songo at the end of 2020, and the laying of the foundation stone on the Mozambican side by President of the Republic Filipe Jacinto Nuysi in May, 2021

SOURCE: ClubofMozambique