ZRL in talks to reopen Muchinji-Nacara route

ZRL in talks to reopen Muchinji-Nacara route

By Mast Reporter

ZAMBIA Railways Limited (ZRL) says it has begun negotiations with the Nacala Logistics over the possible resumption of the Chipata’s Muchinji-Nacara railway line.

ZRL managing director Cuthbert Malindi said the railway line was a strategic route to connect Zambia’s Chipata city to the port of Nacala in Mozambique.

Malindi said the meetings so far had proved to open a way to improve railway transportation between the two countries and the rest of the region.

“The Nacala Corridor offers a viable alternative to the North South Corridor for bulk cargo passing through Zambia,” he said.

The high-level engagement with Nacala Logistics, which took place from April 28 to 30, was a strategic move targeted at boosting Zambia’s regional trade links and supporting the nation’s vision of becoming a land-linked hub in Southern Africa.

Malindi said a combined team of technocrats had conducted a site visit in Chipata and Nacala Port in Mozambique to ascertain the business viability.

“The visit was aimed at exploring strategic partnerships for the operationalisation of the Chipata-Mchinji railway line, the development of Chipata railway station infrastructure as well as corridor diversification,” he said.

Malindi said operationalisation of the Chipata railway line on the Nacala Corridor was an important import and export trade channel for Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and the sub- region.

He said so far, the Zambian team had visited the general cargo Nacala Port and the Coal Port, where sideline meetings were held with Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM) a state-owned company that oversees the railway system and ports in Mozambique.

Nacala Logistics and CFM said their expectations bordered on easier movement of minerals as well as agriculture inputs and general corridor development following investments done at the port by CFM and track rehabilitation by Nacala Logistics.

The expected outcome from the engagement was the development of the greenfield Chipata to Serenje railway project to link the Nacala port to the Copperbelt region and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This is contained in a statement made available to the Mast by Zambia Railways Limited manager for public relations Sombe Longwani-Ng’onga.