‘Start Chipata-Nacala railway line’

THE Government has directed Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) to start operating Chipata-Mchinji-Nacala railway line.
Works, Supply, Transport and a Minister Yamfwa Mukanga said in an interview in Lusaka that Government had engaged ZRL to see how best the railway line could be made operational and ensure that people start utilising the infrastructure.
Mr Mukanga said Government could not afford to have a situation where infrastructure had been put in place but was not being utilised.
“So what we are trying to do right now is to find ways of how that infrastructure can be made operational,” he said.
He said officials from the ministry would travel to Malawi to engage into discussions with officials in that country to see how best the Government could contribute in ensuring that the facility was operational.
And Mr Mukanga said that once the infrastructure was operational, there would be need to connect it to Tanzania Zambia Railways Authority (TAZARA) for it to become more economically viable.
He said this was so because even if it was operational, it would just service the passengers as there would be no goods being ferried on the facility.
“So when the railway line is connected to TAZARA and back to Nakara, then we will be assured that there would be cargo moving from Nacala through to Chipata and that way it will be cheaper than using any other port,” Mr Mukanga said.