•TO reposition Zambia Railways Limited, the Government has pumped in US$120 million which has seen the company undertaking rehabilitation works on the track, rolling stock and signaling system. Above workers busy at work on the track Picture courtesy of STATE HOUSE.
By KAIKO NAMUSA –
PRESIDENT Michael Sata says Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) has recorded growth in haulage capacity after undergoing major rehabilitation works from September last year.
Government pumped US$120 million in the railway firm from the US$750 million Eurobond obtained in 2012.
This has seen the railway company undergo major rehabilitation of the track, rolling stock and signaling system being undertaken from September 2013 to 2015.
President Sata said on his Facebook page yesterday that ZRL would record more growth as a lot of business opportunities existed in the market which included the growth of the mining and construction industries as well as the increase in the export of cement and sugar, among others.
“Today, I wish to share with you our Government’s progress on the repositioning of the Zambia Railways Limited to be the leading bulk and heavy cargo transport company in Zambia. Our Government’s decision to recapitalise ZRL was therefore correct and of enormous benefit to our country,” the President said.
He said it was envisaged that once the track rehabilitation programme was completed, the rail track infrastructure capacity would be increased to eight million tonnes and the rolling stock to three million tonnes.
The President noted that K231.5 million revenue for 2013 was recorded while the net income was at K41 million following major rehabilitation works.
He said ZRL managed to haul more than 749, 165 tonnes last year and signed business contracts worth 1.3 million tonnes for this year.
The Head of State said the inter-mine operations which had collapsed during the concession period, had since been revived by ZRL which hauled 37, 895 tonnes last year and that the opening of the Beira and Botswana routes would as well increase railway traffic.
ZRL, he said, also took over the operations of the Mulobezi Railway track last month and would engage in rehabilitation works and that new rolling stock would also be procured.
He said ZRL procured 95,941 concrete sleepers for the track rehabilitation programme which resulted in the installation of 37,777 new concrete sleepers.
The track rehabilitation programme would be undertaken in Livingstone, Choma, Monze, Kafue, Lusaka, Chisamba, Kabwe, Kapiri, Kafulafuta, Ndola, Kitwe and Chingola.
