Omugulugwombashe Star proving popular

ONGWEDIVA – The Omugulugwombashe Star train is gaining in popularity and about 861 passengers have already used it to travel between Windhoek and Ondangwa on the half-finished Tsumeb-Oshikango railway line.

TransNamib spokesperson Olivia Kanyemba confirmed this to Nampa. The train, which has yet to start transporting cargo to Ondangwa, carried its first passengers to Ondangwa in northern Namibia in August.This follows the inauguration of the main station, King Nehale lya Mpingana, at Ondangwa by President Hifikepunye Pohamba on July 15.Kanyemba said the Omugulugwombashe Star could carry 128 passengers per trip, with 32 seats in business class and 96 in economy class.She said because of children going back to school after holidaying in the North, the train was fully booked at the end of the school vacation, compared to 50 to 70 per cent bookings during other periods.Kanyemba said these statistics proved those wrong who claimed that the train would hardly gain popularity and would become a white elephant because it was slower than road transport.The Omugulugwombashe Star leaves Windhoek at 17h30 on Fridays and it arrives at Ondangwa at 10h00 on Saturdays.It makes the return trip from Ondangwa at 13h00 on Sundays to arrive in Windhoek on Mondays at 05h20.NampaThe train, which has yet to start transporting cargo to Ondangwa, carried its first passengers to Ondangwa in northern Namibia in August.This follows the inauguration of the main station, King Nehale lya Mpingana, at Ondangwa by President Hifikepunye Pohamba on July 15.Kanyemba said the Omugulugwombashe Star could carry 128 passengers per trip, with 32 seats in business class and 96 in economy class.She said because of children going back to school after holidaying in the North, the train was fully booked at the end of the school vacation, compared to 50 to 70 per cent bookings during other periods.Kanyemba said these statistics proved those wrong who claimed that the train would hardly gain popularity and would become a white elephant because it was slower than road transport.The Omugulugwombashe Star leaves Windhoek at 17h30 on Fridays and it arrives at Ondangwa at 10h00 on Saturdays.It makes the return trip from Ondangwa at 13h00 on Sundays to arrive in Windhoek on Mondays at 05h20.Nampa