Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve [email protected]
THE National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has received a major boost to its freight capacity following a US$2,5 million injection from mining giant Zimasco under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The partnership has resulted in the refurbishment of three locomotives and 100 wagons, which will be officially commissioned on Thursday at Harare Station.
The refurbishment programme, carried out at NRZ’s Bulawayo Mechanical Workshops, forms part of Government’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) drive to strengthen private sector collaboration and revive the country’s railway transport system.
Under the agreement, Zimasco funded the procurement of critical spares and consumables valued at approximately US$2,46 million.
NRZ Public Relations Manager Mr Andrew Kunambura confirmed the development, saying the partnership had enabled the rail operator to implement a cost-effective recapitalisation programme that enhances operational capacity.
“The refurbished locomotives are DE 10A models (EMD GT22LC-2), while the wagons are High Sided Iron (HSI) type. Work on the first locomotive began in January 2024, with the last one completed on January 28, 2026.
“The first wagon entered the workshop in August 2023. A total of 60 days (480 hours) were spent on each locomotive, while each wagon took 25 days (200 hours) to complete. The refurbishment has added three years of service life to the locomotives and 10 years to the wagons,” said Mr Kunambura.
The refurbished rolling stock will be dedicated to transporting Zimasco’s mineral commodities, primarily chrome and ferrochrome.
“This is partnership in action. NRZ and its major customer working together to unlock capacity and move more freight,” he said.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona hailed the initiative as a key step towards restoring NRZ’s capacity and reducing pressure on the country’s road network.
“We need a functional railway line, which makes sure that we carry our cargo so that we do not burden our roads. I am happy that the initiative has already started under the NDS2 drive, where we are also calling for collaboration from the private sector, where they can bring in rolling stock and we reduce that on railage as they use the railway line.”
Minister Mhona said the Government’s priority was to restore a vibrant railway system capable of attracting more cargo back to rail transport.
“We are calling for collaboration from the private sector and I am happy that this is ongoing,” he said, adding that the Government is committed to bringing back the glory days of NRZ.
The Zimasco PPP is the latest in a series of partnerships aimed at reviving the parastatal, which has faced years of challenges linked to under-investment and ageing equipment.
The collaboration has already seen more than 80 wagons refurbished during earlier phases, reflecting NRZ’s ongoing efforts to modernise and expand its fleet.
The refurbishment programme also includes wheel profiling to improve the durability, reliability and safety of rolling stock.
The commissioning follows another PPP involving NRZ and Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway (BBR), a unit of South Africa’s Grindrod, which was commissioned in July.
That partnership, which also involved Zimbabwean logistics firm Silvergill, marked the launch of lithium concentrate exports from Gwanda Lithium Mine to the Port of Maputo in Mozambique.
The first freight train carrying 1 000 tonnes of lithium concentrate departed from the newly commissioned BBR West Nicholson siding.
The consignment travels about 180 kilometres on BBR’s rail network between Gwanda and Beitbridge before joining NRZ’s 300-kilometre line to the Chicualacuala Border Post on the Mozambique border.
The rail journey from Gwanda to the Port of Maputo spans approximately 1 000 kilometres.
The BBR partnership was established to provide a more cost-effective and efficient alternative to road transport, which has been hampered by logistical bottlenecks and high operating costs.
As Africa’s leading lithium producer, Zimbabwe is expected to benefit significantly from the new rail corridor, which is designed to support growing mineral exports.
NRZ says its Bulawayo workshops have the capacity to refurbish up to five locomotives and 120 wagons annually, provided adequate funding or similar PPP arrangements are secured.
The commissioning of the Zimasco-funded locomotives and wagons is expected to significantly enhance NRZ’s freight hauling capacity while highlighting the potential of PPPs to drive the revival of Zimbabwe’s railway infrastructure.
