Trans-Kalahari Railway Has Potential to Move 14 Million Tons Per Annum
Author: Chamwe Kaira
The planned Trans-Kalahari Railway to link Namibia and Botswana will have the capacity to move 14 million tons annually in its first year of operation and increasing to 56 million tons per annum by its 30th year of service.
The figures are contained in the Expressions of Interest (EOI) documents issued by Namibia and Botswana calling for bids to construct the railway line.
Construction is planned to start in January 2025, stretching across a distance of 1500 kilometers from Mmamabula in Botswana to the Namibian port of Walvis Bay, primarily serving as a conduit for transporting coal and copper from Botswana.
The two countries have stated that the core objective of the project is to establish a vital railway link connecting the two nations, facilitating the transportation of various commodities, including fuel, iron ore, copper, and coal to and from international markets.
The Expressions of Interest (EOI) from potential stakeholders will run between September 6 and November 8. The EOI said the plan is to engage an investor or developer to oversee the funding and development of the railway line.
The Trans-Kalahari Railway project is poised to yield substantial socioeconomic advantages, such as significantly enhancing the rail capacity of Botswana Railways and TransNamib Holdings Limited. Additionally, it promises to alleviate the strain on regional road infrastructure and reduce the likelihood of accidents involving heavy trucks and smaller vehicles, as freight transportation shifts from road to rail.
The railway line is expected to stimulate the construction of sidings to nearby mines and other business enterprises, including farms. Furthermore, it may serve as an alternative route for transit traffic from the Gauteng region in South Africa to overseas markets.
TransNamib’s Manager of Corporate Communications, Abigail Raubenheimer welcomed the government-to-government initiative between Namibia and Botswana for an expression of interest (EOI) for funding and development of the proposed new railway line.
“In addition, it underpins the construction of new and/or upgraded rail infrastructure, which will undoubtedly blend in with our plans as TransNamib – to have a rail link between Namibia and Botswana,” Raubenheimer said.
She said the current initiatives by the two member states and as rail operators qualified TransNamib and
Botswana Rail, together with the Trans Kalahari Railway Secretariat to participate in the project’s roadmap development and to draw up the EOI.
Raubenheimer said proposed plan, which is currently in its early stages, envisions a rail link between Walvisbay/Namibia and Mammabula/Botswana by 2030 and the new lines is expected to link at Gobabis.
The envisaged container terminal at Gobabis in eastern Namibia will be developed in line with the developments on the project.
“TransNamib is pleased with the recent initiatives around the Trans Kalahari Railway project and is encouraged with the commitments of both the Government of Namibia and Government of Botswana to this project which forms a vital artery to TransNamib’s plans for the future.”
Botswana runs a dry port at Walvis Bay, which is operated Sea Rail Botswana, a subsidiary of Botswana Railways. In 2009, Namibia offered dry ports to its land locked neigbours, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe at Walvis Bay.