The government says there is need re-capitalise the railway transport sector.
Transport, Works Supply and Communications Minister Yamfwa Mukanga says this should be done to make operations of the rail sector more efficient.
Mr. Mukanga says the sector is faced with numerous challenges among them theft of railway slippers.
He says people have started stealing rail slippers on the Mulobezi railway line.
Mr. Mukanga was speaking to ZNBC Business News in LUSAKA on Monday.
The Minister also called on investors to take advantage of investing in the railway transport sector.
Mr. Mukanga says government wants investors to take part in linking existing railway routes to ease transport in the country.
[ZNBC]
Is the railline still in operation I have not heard any GUSU noise in very long time
This sector needs immediate attention to take the pressure off the roads. Its not just the linkages into the existing line that are required, but the existing line itself needs rehabilitation to move goods and passengers. The railways are worse off under RSZ than when Zambia Railways ran system. Government should step in to review the concession and ensure re – development happens, by others if necessary.
the railways must be in private hands. i do not see the gov having capacity to elevate the sate of the railways to levels compatible with modern transport system. private persons stand a better chance of finding money than the gov
We all know and agree the need to re-capitalise, what are you wanting for?
Next.
this is a sleeping Minister!
73 days gone into PF no improvements just silly rhetoric
We are talking about linking TAZARA to the Angolan railway network when we are failing to ensure the efficiency of Tazara and Zambia Railways (Railway Systems). More white elephants?
iwe chi minister,instead wasting time on zamtel which is performing take back zambia railways
give it to the chinese that stretch from kitwe to livingstone is too short,they`ll overhaul it in two months,to make it viable ban the movement of cargo over 30tons on the roads including coal.railway systems are only interested in the strech between kitwe and kapiri for copper movement only the other track is irrelevant to them
Solution is simple. Let the fuel levy that RSZ pays go to Zambia Railways Limited so they can rehabilitate the rail line. What most people do not know is that the concession does not include ownership of the railline.
Solution is simple. Let the fuel levy that RSZ pays go to Zambia Railways Limited so they can rehabilitate the rail line. What most people do not know is that the concession does not include ownership of the railline the railline is still owned by Zambia Railways Limited. With the concession fees the government should avail money to ZRL to maintain the rail track but as usual its poor management on part of government and pass the blame to RSZ. Why does RSZ pay fuel levy which goes to road maintenance instead of rail maintenance?
It would be nice to see the first new investor to risk coming into PF country, where even fake notes pass for a national currency. Talking about our railways I don’t think that the government has any capacity to fix that area. Their ideas are limited to criticising what their predecessors have achieved, yes including criticising the bumper harvests that they inherited!
Recapitalisation of RSZ is a must if it is to be efficient in transportation of goods and services in and out of Zambia. This should also be accompanied by change of sleepers from metallic to concrete and wooden in certain parts. But since it has been concessioned, the government and RSZ management have a role to look into the issue of revamping the line in a more detailed way.
Its time the nation started looking into the possibility of opening new lines like Muchinji on the Malawiani side to have another link to the indian ocean. What is happening now is the opposite because instead of the road supplementing the rail transport,the rail is supplementing the road transport which is not healthy for development.