Namibia goes loco over rail travel

RAIL transport should become a source of pride for Namibia from now on, says TransNamib Holdings Chief Executive Officer, John Shaetonhodi.

He was speaking at the commissioning at Walvis Bay on Saturday of the first ever locomotives and tank wagons bought by TransNamib at a cost of N$33,5 million. The CEO said the new equipment was “an essential enabler of business growth and economic development”.Namibia bought four locomotives and 30 tank wagons.In addition, a spanking new passenger train is expected to arrive in the country from China in the first week of December.The N$15,51 million train will consist of three coaches, which can carry 170 people.General Manager: Engineering at TransNamib Matty Hauuanga told The Namibian the train would have economy and business class and travel at a top speed of 120 km/h.The new train will be used on the most profitable routes – between Windhoek and Walvis Bay, Windhoek and Ondangwa and Windhoek and Lderitz.TransNamib Chairperson Klaus Dierks said on Saturday that the addition to the companys fleet of rolling stock had been made possible by an economic turnaround “from a nearly bankrupt company into a highly profitable one” during the past two years.The companys deficit was N$81 million in 2002.The CEO said the heart of the turnaround strategy was the introduction of new development, higher efficiency and a customer-driven approach.”The significance of customers being able to rely completely on a logistics infrastructure to achieve their business objectives cannot be overemphasised.”In his keynote address, Minister Moses Amweelo of Works, Transport and Communication added that modern rail technology held enormous promise and benefits of sustainable economic development, “particularly for us as a gateway country to international markets within SADC”.He said the arrival of the new equipment would greatly complement and support Government objectives related to the development of a third commercial harbour at Cape Fria.The state-of-the-art locomotives are the first ever in the world to be fitted with QSK 60 Cummins engines.The engines were manufactured in Daventry in the UK, and the locomotives by CSR Ziyang Locomotive Works in China at a cost of US$1 million each.With a price tag of US$36 000 each, the 30 tank wagons were manufactured by CSR Meishan Rolling Stock Company in China.Each tank has a capacity of 43 000 litres.CSR is the largest manufacturer of railway locomotives and rolling stock in China.The company produced the order for about half the price of what a company in the US quoted.The CEO said the new equipment was “an essential enabler of business growth and economic development”.Namibia bought four locomotives and 30 tank wagons.In addition, a spanking new passenger train is expected to arrive in the country from China in the first week of December.The N$15,51 million train will consist of three coaches, which can carry 170 people.General Manager: Engineering at TransNamib Matty Hauuanga told The Namibian the train would have economy and business class and travel at a top speed of 120 km/h.The new train will be used on the most profitable routes – between Windhoek and Walvis Bay, Windhoek and Ondangwa and Windhoek and Lderitz.TransNamib Chairperson Klaus Dierks said on Saturday that the addition to the companys fleet of rolling stock had been made possible by an economic turnaround “from a nearly bankrupt company into a highly profitable one” during the past two years.The companys deficit was N$81 million in 2002.The CEO said the heart of the turnaround strategy was the introduction of new development, higher efficiency and a customer-driven approach.”The significance of customers being able to rely completely on a logistics infrastructure to achieve their business objectives cannot be overemphasised.”In his keynote address, Minister Moses Amweelo of Works, Transport and Communication added that modern rail technology held enormous promise and benefits of sustainable economic development, “particularly for us as a gateway country to international markets within SADC”.He said the arrival of the new equipment would greatly complement and support Government objectives related to the development of a third commercial harbour at Cape Fria.The state-of-the-art locomotives are the first ever in the world to be fitted with QSK 60 Cummins engines.The engines were manufactured in Daventry in the UK, and the locomotives by CSR Ziyang Locomotive Works in China at a cost of US$1 million each.With a price tag of US$36 000 each, the 30 tank wagons were manufactured by CSR Meishan Rolling Stock Company in China.Each tank has a capacity of 43 000 litres.CSR is the largest manufacturer of railway locomotives and rolling stock in China.The company produced the order for about half the price of what a company in the US quoted.