Botswana, Zambia rail link coming

IN an effort to facilitate regional trade Botswana is forging ahead with the establishment of a railway line with Zambia. The rail link will add to the Namibia and Mozambique connection which are also in the pipeline, Minister of Transport and Communications Frank Ramsden revealed last week.

The new rail link between Botswana and Zambia, bypassing Zimbabwe was first mooted in 2005. The line was envisaged as running south-westwards from Livingstone, crossing the Zambezi, then continuing to a junction with the existing BR tracks at Mosetse. The proposal arose following the serious loss of traffic suffered by BR following the opening of the Beitbridge-Bulawayo line. The suggested line, Ramsden pointed out, would provide important alternative routes linking South Africa, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ramsden said the country has started negotiations with Zambia and through the route Botswana will export soda ash, coal and be able to bring more imports from outside the country and create more outlets.
‘The rail line will be included in the planned Kazungula bridge and is currently at feasibility study. We hope by next year the study should be completed including the Environmental Impact Assessment giving us leeway to start on the project,’ Ramsden stated.
The rail line is expected to be completed by 2015 or first quarter of 2016. Ramsden is optimistic that the ‘delayed’ construction of the US$300 million Kazungula Bridge linking Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia will be a reality.
The region is ensuring that efforts are stepped up to ensure that the pontoon is replaced with a permanent bridge to speed up the transportation of goods and passengers at the Zambezi River crossing that has a long and tortuous history.
Initial feasibility studies undertaken in 2001 and 2006 have been redesigned and a contractor tasked to evaluate costs and other engineering requirements before the affected countries can decide on the financing and other requirements needed to flag off the work. The bridge has now been shifted and will not involve Zimbabwe.
Botswana has rail links with the neighbouring countries Zimbabwe and South Africa. There is no direct connection with Namibia, but one does exist via South Africa. Namibia and Botswana are courting private companies to build the envisaged Trans Kalahari Railway line stretching from Mmamabula coal deposits in Botswana to the port of Walvis Bay to boost coal transport.
Both governments will soon tender for private firms to construct the railway line whose primary role is coal transport from Mmamabula. A bi-lateral agreement with Namibia would also be expected to cover the construction of a coal export terminal at Walvis Bay.
The World Bank has been funding a pre-feasibility study into the rail line which is expected to be completed in October this year. The Trans-Kalahari rail link is vital for Botswana’s ability to unlock the potential of its coal resources.
Botswana has also signed an agreement with Mozambique for the building of a ‘speedier rail link’ between them.
At the end of an official state visit to Botswana in July, Mozambican president noted that there is an existing line but it is very long, running through Bulawayo, in Zimbabwe which connects Botswana to Zimbabwe, and highlighted there is a need to find shorter route.
Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Ponatshego Kedikilwe visited Mozambique to negotiate routes and alternative sources for fuel supply to Botswana which would make it cheaper for the country to import fuel via the port of Maputo.
– The Botswana Gazette