China sends railway experts as part of TransNamib project

FOUR engineers from China arrived on Thursday to take charge of assembling locomotives and training staff at national railway operator TransNamib.

TransNamib also announced they would be purchasing new passenger trains and locomotives from China. “Chinese engineers’ skills are very necessary to help our labour force assemble two locomotives in our workshops with components in our stock,” the company said in a press release.It said the four engineers would be joined in a few days by three technicians.TransNamib said the state-owned China Railway Materials Export and Import Company had signed a contract to supply four new diesel locomotives by June, and one diesel multiple unit (DMU) passenger train by year-end.A DMU train is so called because each passenger car has it own engine, enabling greater efficiency.A TransNamib spokesperson said the company was not able to release the prices they are paying, but maintained they would be “competitive”.At a press conference last year, Chief Executive John Shaetonhodi said a single locomotive could cost in the region of N$20 million, while a DMU could cost at least N$16 million.The parastatal also said China had provided them with an interest-free loan worth about N$30 million.The parastatal’s current locomotives that were made in the United States are said to be over 30 years old.”Chinese engineers’ skills are very necessary to help our labour force assemble two locomotives in our workshops with components in our stock,” the company said in a press release. It said the four engineers would be joined in a few days by three technicians. TransNamib said the state-owned China Railway Materials Export and Import Company had signed a contract to supply four new diesel locomotives by June, and one diesel multiple unit (DMU) passenger train by year-end. A DMU train is so called because each passenger car has it own engine, enabling greater efficiency. A TransNamib spokesperson said the company was not able to release the prices they are paying, but maintained they would be “competitive”. At a press conference last year, Chief Executive John Shaetonhodi said a single locomotive could cost in the region of N$20 million, while a DMU could cost at least N$16 million. The parastatal also said China had provided them with an interest-free loan worth about N$30 million. The parastatal’s current locomotives that were made in the United States are said to be over 30 years old.