GOVERNMENT has signed three agreements with foreign investors with one meant to facilitate the extension of Chipata-Mchinji railway line to Mpika via Petauke to be linked to TAZARA.
The other MoU is for a railway line covering a stretch of 1000 kilometres from Solwezi to Kasempa, Kaoma to Katima Mulilo up to Namibia through Walvis Bay.
The third agreement is for railway to cover Nseluka near Kasama in Northern Province from TAZARA to link to Mpulungu port.
Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Communication and Transport, Dominic Sichinga in an interview said Government has achieved a lot in the last couple of years in terms of focusing on what needs to be done in the railway sector.
The three memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed this year by the Ministry of Communication and Transport are part of Government’s plan to enhance development in the railway sector.
“This year alone, we have signed three major agreements for rail development. Last year Government completed the long awaited 24 kilometre Chipata-Mchinji railway line that was opened by President Banda,” he said.
He said the agreement for the Chipata to Mpika railway is for a year’s feasibility study and the potential investor is on the ground carrying out the works.
He said the railway line to connect Nseluka near Kasama in Northern Province from TAZARA to link to Mpulungu port is a stretch of 200 kilometres, signed with a company to carry out a feasibility study.
Mr Sichinga said the line once fully developed will open up Mpulungu port to greater volume of trade.
Mpulungu port is Zambia’s gateway to the great lakes region.
“The trade volume has doubled at Mpulungu port from the time Government took over; we have seen new products such as steel which we did not have during the time of the concession.
With the railway link, it will be a gateway to the great lakes region,” he said.
He said Government has also settled the dispute with North West railway that will build a line from Chingola to Jumbe, a border town with Angola adding that the new permit will soon be granted.
“These are not small projects but million dollar projects. Once they are fully functional, they will complement the two railway systems that we have in the country, Railway System of Zambia and TAZARA,” he said.
Mr Sichinga said Government is also interested in seeing the Njanji commuter services functional with modern equipment running through the metro district of Lusaka.
He said the Njanji project is being spearheaded by Zambia Development Agency and has attracted some interested investors that are being evaluated
[Zambia Daily Mail]
What about the revival of the Mandevu -Chilenje commuter railway line??
Njanji commuter is the matero-Chilenje to be functional with modern equipment
All we need is to deconjest the roads by inacting a law that will prohibit some products moving on the roads.Also we need more commuter trains mostly in Lusaka/Ndola/Kitwe and other towns.
Now this is what am talking about!!!Zambia is on the right track and like a steam engine it has started to gain momentum on it’s quest to higher hights!!H.E RB talks after he has done the walking while the King Cobra talks(hisses) before he does the walking.Come election time electorates will put their money(votes) where the walk is!!Fellow bloggers you do the math!!
Some of these stories are just propaganda!!! There is no country that can develop at such a rate within a short period of time. Every day government is going to do a A.B.C where is the money coming from?
its coming from the taxes u dimwit
The ministers will cry the loudest because their transport companies will fall.Hahahahahah
Ba John Chinena,
Have you read the article or you skipped it in a rush to comment? These are effectively private investments. Companies investing in infrastructure. Which speaks volumes for Zambia.
Zambians should really be proud for laying the foundation for all this economic activity. There is a lot of money in the world, sir.
John Chinena, don’t forget that there is also the 90 days shrill! It may just be possible :-)
Good plans.If only we can take things seriously and see to it that planed projects and programmes are timely implemented.Otherwise right direction
Aha ha, ba John chinena, mwansekesha ngeshina lyenu. I agree with you some of this project launches are fake. BYE BYE MMD, WELCOME PFFFF. So bakamba ba chief boot licker,
plan yenu ili shani? mwalisova ka stand pa chisokone?
What will be the economic benefit of the Line from Nseluka to Mpulungu ? TAZARA line itself is not profitable and is almost sinking. TAZARA could have been beneficial but is just struggling. I wonder whether there was any CBA on this project.