Consultant For Trans-Kalahari Railway Feasibility Study To Be Announced In September
The Trans-Kalahari Railway Project, a collaborative initiative between Namibia and Botswana, is in the process of evaluating bids to appoint a consultant to conduct a feasibility study. Moemedi Matsoga, Chief Public Relations Officer in Botswana’s Ministry of Transport and Public Works, stated that the successful bidder is expected to be announced by September.
The project plans to construct a railway line extending from Walvis Bay to the coalfields in Mmamabula, Botswana. This development will include rolling stock locomotives, wagons, maintenance facilities, and a terminal at Walvis Bay where coal can be off-loaded and loaded onto ships for export.
This project is part of several cross-border railway initiatives that Botswana is currently engaged in. Matsoga also mentioned ongoing feasibility studies for the Mmamabula-Lephalale Railway link between South Africa and Botswana, as well as the Mosetse-Kazungula-Livingstone Railway between Botswana and Zambia.
Regarding the Limpopo Railway Line, Matsoga highlighted the interest expressed by Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe in investing in a multimodal regional port and transport infrastructure project. This project aims to benefit the countries and the region. The plan involves developing a deep seaport at Ponta Techobanine in Mozambique’s Maputo Province, alongside a heavy haul railway line to transport trade commodities, including minerals, fuel, agricultural produce, and general merchandise. This will be under the Onshore Deep Sea Port and Heavy Haul Railway Line, Ponta Techobanine Project (PTP).
The three governments have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop this project and are committed to mobilizing financing for both upstream and downstream activities. Matsoga emphasized that the PTP project will require a strong business case for investment, ideally through private sector participation, and will need thorough feasibility studies.
The proposed infrastructure aims to optimize distances and travel times between the economic hubs of the three countries, offering an alternative to the congested existing regional railway routes. This is expected to enhance the competitiveness of the operational railway networks and boost national and regional freight traffic.
Matsoga mentioned that the feasibility study will identify preferred new railways, port facilities, and other necessary investments. It will also provide a preliminary assessment of the project’s technical, economic, financial, environmental, and social feasibility. The objective is to create a shared understanding among the three governments of how the proposed project may be executed, including strategies for private sector involvement.
He further noted that such projects require considerable time to develop, making it crucial for the three governments to maximize the use of existing railway lines while advancing the new project. An assessment of the current railway lines is necessary to identify areas needing intervention along the Limpopo Corridor.
Timelines for the PTP project will be communicated as discussions progress, Matsoga added.
For Railways Africa Magazine written by, Chamwe Chowa Kaira