Harare, (New Ziana)-The Zimbabwe government has started work to repair the country’s railway network in line with the national vision to modernize infrastructure, a Cabinet Minister said on Wednesday.
Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona said this while responding to questions from legislators in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Mhona said recently Zimbabwe has experienced accidents at railroad crossings because people thought the railway lines were no longer functional.
“Yes, our infrastructure was poor and dilapidated, but I would like to tell this Parliament and the country at large that our railway line is still very intact. Our tracks are being used. However, 10 percent of our tracks need attention and we are working on straightening those tracks.
“It will take time of course, but it is our wish as Government to revamp our tracks,” he said.
He added: “We have sectors that are looking into the railway system right now. We are about to finish Machipanda to Manicaland. We have 10 kilometers that have gone bad; we are trying to revamp that in conjunction with a company from Mozambique. We are revamping that and resuscitating the railway so that as a land-locked country, we are able to access ports, be it Beira or Maputo,” he said.
Work on the Harare-Chitungwiza railway line would also start soon.
“We are working on Chitungwiza – Harare tracks in liaison with the CMED. In a short time, we will be working on this track to enable residents of Chitungwiza to come to town by train. The service will also be extended to Norton and Ruwa.
Mhona said there are also plans to build new railway lines to facilitate the transportation of commodities such as minerals.
“We have also seen the advent of mining companies like what has bee alluded to and the connectivity to those mining companies is of paramount importance. Shortly we are going to be constructing a new line from Manhize to Mvuma, that is a 50-kilometre line. Not only that, it will also feed into Mvuma. We are also earmarking to have a new dedicated line from Mvuma to Nyazura whereby the transporter would not need to take goods to Harare via Mutare, but will have a dedicated line again,” he said.
New Ziana
