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Bulawayo Bureau
A batch of 200 wagons being refurbished by the National Railways of Zimbabwe under a partnership with Societe Nationale des chemins de fer Congo of the Democratic Republic of Congo will be used to carry coal from Hwange to Kolwezi in the DRC.
As part of the agreement, the two companies will be looking at other ways to increase rail traffic between the two countries.
NRZ general manager Ms Respina Zinyanduko and SNCC director of operations Mr Marc Manyanga Ndambo signed a memorandum of agreement between the two railway companies in Bulawayo last month.
The project is expected to boost NRZ’s operational capacity and enhance bulk cargo traffic between the two countries which is crucial for regional trade.
A delegation from SNCC was in Bulawayo yesterday led by technical director Engineer David Shimbi Lubanga and toured the NRZ giant mechanical workshop department where they identified 200 of the 400 high-sided wagons that require refurbishment.
NRZ acting public relations manager, Mr Martin Banda, said officials from SNCC were using the visit to cement and enhance co-operation between the two railway companies.
“What is going to happen is that when they have assessed at least about 400 of the 2 000 wagons which are stable here, we have got the bill of quantities of what is required for each wagon to be repaired.
“So, they will identify 200 of the 400, which they are going to inspect and from those 200 they will go back to their principal (the DRC Government) who will then give them a go ahead to repair them.
“When those wagons have been repaired, it means that immediately, we will start moving coal from Zimbabwe to DRC.” Last year, NRZ moved 2 191 million tonnes of cargo against a target of 3 million tonnes. Missing the target arose from Covid-19 operational challenges facing NRZ’s major customers plus unreliable locomotives, wagon shortages and dilapidated rail network that resulted in frequent derailments.
“We are targeting to move at least 3 million tonnes this year. We are sure that we will be able to meet that target by the end of the year,” said Mr Banda.
During the tour, the senior officials of the two rail companies conducted spot inspection of the NRZ rolling stock, workshops and marshalling yards.
The exercise is meant to guide strategies on lobbying their governments to support their national transport masterplans that define cargo for rail and cargo for road.
NRZ is building capacity, developing its export markets and strengthening its economic partnership agreements. Speaking through an interpreter, Eng Lubanga said their visit was a follow-up to NRZ delegation’s visit to DRC last year.
“During their visit to DRC last year, there was a commitment to better the partnership between the two railway companies . . . there was also another issue regarding the mutualisation of rolling stock between the two railway companies in terms of wagons because we need to move big volumes of cargo between Zimbabwe and DRC.”
It is hoped that the use of rail to carry bulk cargo will translate into several benefits that include reduction in transport costs, fewer road traffic accidents and less damage to the road networks.
Experts regard rail transport as cost effective in terms of moving both bulk raw materials and finished products with one unit train being equivalent to 33 haulage trucks.
Online Reporter