TransNamib paid out for train breakdown

TRANSNAMIB Holdings has been compensated by a Chinese train manufacturer for business lost due to the breakdown of one its new trains earlier this year.

TransNamib spokesperson Olivia Kanyemba-Usiku would not reveal the amount of the compensation, but the loss was estimated to run into several thousands of dollars. The train was withdrawn from service on the important Walvis Bay-Windhoek route for three weeks.Cummins’ South Africa branch was responsible for the repairs.”The repair costs were also covered by the manufacturer,” Kanyemba-Usiku told The Namibian.The breakdown raised concerns about the quality of the Chinese-manufactured trains, but Kanyemba-Usiku insisted that was not an issue.Critics have suggested that the locomotives are not suitable for the Namibian railway network.The train was withdrawn from service on the important Walvis Bay-Windhoek route for three weeks.Cummins’ South Africa branch was responsible for the repairs.”The repair costs were also covered by the manufacturer,” Kanyemba-Usiku told The Namibian.The breakdown raised concerns about the quality of the Chinese-manufactured trains, but Kanyemba-Usiku insisted that was not an issue.Critics have suggested that the locomotives are not suitable for the Namibian railway network.