Zambia Railways Resumes Mulobezi Train Service
Chamwe Chowa Kaira
Zambia Railways Limited has recommenced its train operations between Livingstone in the Southern Province and Mulobezi in the Western Province. The service, suspended in May due to the unsafe condition of Bombwe Bridge, resumed on November 14 following successful repairs funded by the government.
Engineer Fred Mwila, the Acting Managing Director, recently inspected the refurbished Mulobezi passenger train coaches alongside senior management officials. The Bombwe Railway Bridge was officially commissioned by Minister of Transport and Logistics Hon. Frank Tayali, marking the completion of bridge repair works and the resumption of passenger train operations.
Tayali emphasized that the rehabilitation of Bombwe Bridge aligns with the government’s broader efforts to enhance the country’s railway system, aiming to improve safety, reduce derailments, and minimize transit times along the Mulobezi Railway Line. He commended Zambia Railways Limited for cost-effective execution and expressed gratitude to all stakeholders involved.
Mwila urged the government to increase funding for ongoing repair works on the Mulobezi line, emphasizing the critical role of passenger train operations in facilitating the movement of people and goods. Annually, the Mulobezi mixed passenger train transports approximately 26 000 passengers.
Zambia Railways is actively seeking strategic partnerships to secure funding for the revitalization of railway infrastructure and rolling stock. The company’s statistics reveal that the rail share in Zambia is below 10 percent due to insufficient capacity in track and rolling stock, attributed to a lack of investment.
The Ministry of Finance’s recent announcement outlined plans to rehabilitate 150km of Zambia Railways, TAZARA, and Mulobezi Railway lines in the 2024 budget. The allocated budget for railway transport rehabilitation is set to increase to 67 million Kwacha from K57 million in the 2023 budget.
Originally constructed to transport timber from Mulobezi to Livingstone in the Southern Province, Mulobezi Railway plays a crucial role in cargo movement.
Zambia Railways’ 2021 Annual Report highlighted that, during Fiscal Year 2021, the company transported 884,771 metric tons of cargo and provided passenger services to 102,498 people, slightly below the targeted figures of 1,180,900 tons and 99,964 people, respectively.
The Zambia Railways has a network stretching almost 1 200 km and covers the entire area between Victoria Falls Bridge on the border with Zimbabwe and Sakania on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo including the Copperbelt and other branches that is Ndola, Kitwe, Chingola, Mufulira and Chililabombwe. The company connects Tanzania – Zambia Railways Authority (TAZARA at Kapiri- Mposhi. The Chipata-Mchinji network that connects Zambia to Malawi and Mozambique is also part of the Zambia Railways network.
