A STRONG railway system is critical in creating an effective transport sector which can lead to lower cost of doing business and facilitating economic development in the country.

There is no doubt that effective railway transport systems are important to the economy of the country as they help in the transportation of bulk goods with minimum damage on the environment.
This mode of transportation is climate-smart and can cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Railway promotes economic growth and is an efficient and cheap way to move people and millions of tonnes of goods across countries and continents.
This mode of transport is not only vital for facilitating smooth access to the outside world but also for the overall boosting of trade in the sub-region and making Zambia a competitive country for business.
The Government of Zambia through the Ministry of Transport introduced a Statutory Instrument (SI), which requires industries to move 30 per cent of their carriage by railway.
This is in a bid to decongest the road sector and possibly reduce the damage done by heavy duty trucks on Zambian roads.
However, the railway network in Zambia has remained the dominant mode of transportation for goods on the local and international routes and has remained under-utilised.
The railway transport in Zambia has generally been operated below their original design capacity, yet significant investment is underway to increase their volumes by investing in track conditions, increasing locomotive and wagon availability and increasing operating capital.
The main railway lines in Zambia are the Zambia Railways, owned by the government and the Tanzania Zambia Railways (TAZARA) line, linking Zambia with Tanzania, and jointly owned by the Zambia and Tanzania.
There is also the Chipata- Mchinji railway link that provides connectivity into Malawi and Mozambique railway network and further connects Zambia to the port of Nacala.
The Mulobezi railway was constructed to carry timber from Mulobezi to Livingstone in the Southern Province of Zambia.
It was the first railway to have been built in the country in 1904-5 and was later expanded into the north of the country in 1923.
The main line in Zambia is 890 Kilometres, while the Mulobezi railway line is 167 Kilometres, the Chipata-Mchinji line is 27 Kilometres while the TAZARA line is 1,869 Kilometres.
The development of railways is key in enhancing trade, the transportation of goods within and outside the country.
The rail transport sector has been facing a number of challenges such as the lack of maintenance of trucks as the train speeds are far slower than road freight trucks.
For example the main line from Lusaka to the Copperbelt requires periodical maintenance and covers a distance of about 308 Kilometres excluding the branch lines from Kitwe to Mufulira, Kitwe to Chililabombwe and Kitwe to Chingola.
The Ndola to Luanshya line has been closed and needs complete reconstruction.
The Government is committed to develop the rail industry and to address the challenges that have been hindering the development of the sector.
The New Dawn Government intends to expand and rehabilitate the railway network in the country to develop the surface transport sector.
It has allocated funds in this year’s budget to rehabilitate the rail infrastructure.
Transport and Logistic Minister Frank Tayali says the Government is looking for investors that will prudently help in the recapitalisation of the Zambia Railways Limited and rehabilitate its infrastructure.
Mr Tayali says Zambia Railways Limited has
witnessed several accidents at level crossing sites which resulting in loss of lives, damaging of the rolling stock, the rail infrastructure and train derailment.
The minister says the Government has released K10.3 million to facilitate the construction of the Bombwe Bridge which collapsed and led to the closure of the Mulobezi railway line.
“Further during the 2023 Budget, we are providing K30 million for the truck
maintenance to improve the liability of train operation and quality of services.
“The Mulobezi railway line is the only reliable form of transport in the southern catchment areas and over the years, train operations stopped due to the damage of the Bombwe River Bridge,” he says.
Commenting on the development of the TAZARA line, the minister states that the Government is revitalising the operation of the facility and engaging the Chinese and the Tanzanian government to recapitalise it.
He explains that the Zambian Government released $1.9 billion last year for the bridge construction and restructuring of train operations following the damage at the Chambishi railway bridge.
Early last month, both the Zambian and Tanzanian governments issued a joint communiqué to engage Chinese investors in the rehabilitation of the TAZARA line.
Mr Tayali notes that TAZARA has been in operation for over four and a half decades and has played a significant role in facilitating brotherhood, trade and travel between the two countries.
TAZARA has provided a reliable and affordable means of transportation for both goods and passengers, contributing to the growth of the economies.
TAZARA council of minister chairperson Makame Mbarama says the negotiation for the Chinese investor will start by the end of this month.
“We note that despite the abundant potential traffic for TAZARA, the authority has continued to perform poorly due to lack of sufficient capitalisation, further taking into account the directives for both heads of State, Zambia and Tanzania who met in August last year and directed that TAZARA be revitalised quickly , the council directed a joint technical committee to complete the process of engaging the Chinese investors,” he says.
Prof Mbarama says the review of the TAZARA was concluded and granted Zambia some time to review the proposed changes in the draft bill to align it with the aspiration of the New Dawn Government.
The Government of Zambia has plans for putting in place Greenfields railways across the country to enhance connectivity within and outside the country.
According to the ministry of transport, the Government has put in place railway development which is waiting for funding to enhance connectivity and the transportation of goods.
Some of the plans include the construction of the Western Railway, the North-Western railway, Nseluka-Mpulungu railway, Livingstone – Katima Mulilo railway , Chipata- TAZARA railway and the Kafue – Lion’s Den railway.
The Government has put up a proposal which is still on paper, to develop the Chingola to Jimbe railway line which involves linking the existing line in Chingola through Solwezi to the border town of Jimbe.
This will enhance the transportation of freight, passenger traffic and other products using the Lobito Bay Port in Angola.
It proposes for a railway line to link the Zambia Railway line from Kafue to Ziwa Zimbabwe, the way to Beira Port as the shortest route to the port of Beira in Mozambique.
The proposal also plans a rail line linking the Mpulungu Port to the TAZARA line at Nseluka to facilitate the imports and exports from the Great Lakes region to the sea ports on the Indian Ocean.
The Government proposes the extension of the Mchinji/Chipata railway line to TAZARA which will involve linking the Chipata- Mchinji line through Petauke District to the port of Nacala in Mozambique among others. To link Zambia and Namibia, the Government proposes the construction of the rail line from Livingstone to Sesheke.
The construction of this line will also involve the partial rehabilitation of the Mulobezi line and feasibility studies for the construction of a spur between Livingstone and Katima Mulilo to
Kazungula and connect to the Namibian Railway System at the border, as part of the Walvis Bay – Livingstone – Lusaka – Ndola – Lubumbashi Corridor.
Following the commissioning of the Kazungula border in 2021, it is anticipated the railway on the Botswana side will link the small Zambian border town of Kazungula.
With such developments and good plans for new projects, it is hopeful that the rail sector will develop and enhance the movement around and outside the country.
This mode of transport is cheaper, and is expected to reduce the cost of transportation, thereby reducing the cost of doing business to sectors that depend on it.