Mchinji-Chipata railway line to be opened
By Nyasa Times
Published: February 2, 2010
Construction of the Mchinji-Chipata railway is scheduled to be completed before the end of this month. Project manager Ernest Silwamba said 95 percent of construction works on both the railway line and the station terminal building have already been done.
Silwamba said construction on the rail line will be completed by the mid February. He was speaking during a NACALA Corridor Development meeting in Chipata. The meeting was attended by representatives from Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.
Silwamba said the remaining works include ballasting of two kilometers and three yard lines.
He added that lifting and aligning of four kilometers of the main line and four yards and the rehabilitation of the station building will be done within the month of February.
Meanwhile, Malawi has commended the Zambian government for putting up resources to complete the 27 kilometer stretch of the Chipata-Mchinji railway line.
Malawian delegation leader, Stephen Mkandawire said the Zambian government had shown commitment in the Chipata-Mchinji railway which he said is an economically viable project.
Mkandawire said President Rupiah Banda and his Malawian counterpart Bingu wa Mutharika played a critical role in the completion of the railway project.
He noted that the existing warm relationship between the two countries and their leaders would further be strengthened as the project would continue uniting Zambia and Malawi.
And Central and Eastern African Railways (CEAR) Director of Marketing and Commercial Services, Wilfred Ali, said vandalism on the railway line was the greatest challenge in the development of the NACALA Corridor.
Ali said the NACALA Corridor was a major economic target for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.
He noted that the most common form of vandalism in the railway was the removal of stones and rail sleepers.
Ali said part of the 510 kilometer stretch of the rail line in Malawi was vandalized and needed emergency repair works.
He noted that a number of bridges on the railway line had also been vandalized.
He stated that CEAR had engaged the local community and area Members of Parliament in sensitizing people against vandalizing the infrastructure in Malawi.
Ali emphasized the need to ensure that the vandalism in Malawi did not spill over into Zambia.–Zanis
Labels: CHIPATA, INFRASTRUCTURE, MALAWI, MCHINJI, RAIL, REGIONAL INTEGRATION, STEPHEN MKANDAWIRE
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Envoy hails Chipata rail link
By Business Reporter
CONSTRUCTION of the Chipata-Mchinji railway is a key trade facilitating infrastructure which would contribute to enhancing trade among Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, Zambia’s Deputy High Commissioner to Malawi, Paul Katema has said.
Mr Katema said the Mchinji-Chipata rail link underscores the importance of infrastructure development in the region as a means to consolidating regional trade and commerce.
Speaking when he closed a stakeholders’ meeting on the railway line project at Chipata Municipal Council at the weekend, Mr Katema said once operational, the railway line would avail cheaper access to the sea for Zambia because it would offer the shortest route to the port of Nacala.
He said that currently, the bulk of Zambia’s export and imports were being transported by road, which was costly because of the frequent need for maintenance and rehabilitation and that a rail link which was comparatively cheaper, would be of big advantage to Zambia.
At the same function, Central, East African Railways Company Limited of Malawi marketing and commercial director, Wilfred Ali said the private sector in Malawi had started using the 12 kilometre stretch of the rail from Lilongwe to Mchinji.
Mr Ali said the private sector, including tobacco merchants, were already utilising the rail line to transport their merchandise because it was cheaper.
And Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairperson, Timothy Nyirenda said the construction of the Chipata-Mchinji railway line would help in reducing transport costs for transporters.
While in Chipata, the Malawian delegation visited the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Omnia Fertiliser Sheds, Cargill Cotton Ginnery, and Alliance One Zambia.
Labels: CHIPATA, INFRASTRUCTURE, MCHINJI, RAIL
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Malawi hopes for speedy Mchinji railway works
By Chibaula Silwamba
Monday September 15, 2008 [04:00]
MALAWI is hopeful that the construction of the
Mchinji railway line will now be accelerated, Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika's chief political advisor Dr Hetherwick Ntaba has said. Dr Ntaba attributed the delays in completing the construction of the railway line to changes in governments and diversion of resources to emergencies that had befallen the concerned countries - Malawi and Zambia - in the past.
"You know the delays to finish the Zambia-Mchinji-Malawi-Salima railway line could be attributed to a number of things. Since that project started, we have had changes of governments and there have been a number of development challenges, we have had priorities intervening in between; disease emergencies, hunger, poverty and other needs which have demanded the resources that we have in government," he explained.
"Priorities have been diverted to other emergencies so that the Zambia-Mchinji-Malawi-Salima railway project has had to wait for these other priorities.”
Dr Ntaba said the availability of resources now gave hope that the project would be completed.
"I think as we get along, these priorities are being re-assessed and resources are becoming more and more available," said Dr Ntaba. "We have every hope that this project will now speed up as we have seen recently."
The Mchinji railway line project started about 25 years ago and Malawi completed its part but Zambia has been struggling to finish the project on its side. In this year's national budget, the Zambian government allocated K10 billion towards the completion of the Chipata-Mchinji railway line.
The Zambia-Mchinji-Malawi-Salima railway line was conceived as a bilateral project between Zambia and Malawi in 1982 but the Zambian government withdrew from the project after about 10 years due to financial constraints.
The railway project was resumed in 2006 and was supposed to be completed in December 2007 but to date, the Zambian government is still struggling to finish its part.
Last Saturday, Vice-President Rupiah Banda observed that the Mchinji railway line was so far progressing very well.
"Once completed, the railway line will greatly contribute to economic development of this province and will enhance economic growth primarily of the three countries; that is Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia commonly known as the Nacala corridor," said Vice-President Banda.
Labels: MALAWI, MCHINJI, RAIL
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Chipata-Mchinji railway works near completion
By Joan Chirwa in Chipata
Wednesday April 02, 2008 [04:00]
CONSTRUCTION works on the Chipata-Mchinji railway line are nearing completion, with the government providing an additional K10 billion in this years’ budget towards the project. The railway line, which stalled over 25 years ago, will connect Zambia to the Nacara corridor in Mozambique through Malawi and is expected to boost trading patterns among the three neighbouring countries.
A survey conducted on site on Monday revealed that 16 kilometres of track has been laid, out of which nine kilometres was still in skeleton form.
Eastern Province minister Charles Shawa, said the government’s plan was to connect the Chipata-Mchinji railway line to the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA) via Petauke district in the next few years.
“Government hopes to have this project completed before the end of this year,” said Shawa when officials from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Business Development Services (BDS) project paid a courtesy call on him on Monday.
“The Chipata-Mchinji railway line will boost the economic performance of Eastern province as business transactions between Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia will be enhanced.”
Due to inadequate rail system, transportation of bulk goods around the country is done on roads.
Shawa said the government had spent around K8 billion to rehabilitate the four main bridges that were washed away by heavy rains on the Great East Road.
“Government has also provided K15 billion for the rehabilitation of the stretch between Nyimba and Sinda. Another stretch that will be rehabilitated is between Mtenguleni and Mwami which will cost K30 billion. Both works will be done by Sable Contractors. We are also concerned with the state of the Chipata-Lundazi road and money will be provided soon in order to improve the road,” said Shawa.
Labels: CHIPATA, MCHINJI, RAIL
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