CHAMWE KAIRA
Namibia, Botswana and Zambia will start working on funding plans of the proposed extension of the country’s railway line from Grootfontein to Katima Mulilo once the project’s implementation is agreed by all the countries.
“With regards to the meeting of Finance Ministers, the idea is to start working on the funding plan once implementation is agreed by all countries,” Minister of Finance, Iipumbu Shiimi told Observer Money.
The proposed extension of the railway line has been deemed visible by the final feasibility study report, which was recently approved by Cabinet.
According to the report prepared by MR Technofin Consultants Ltd of Canada, the Zambezi Extension Railway is viable from a technical, environmental, legal, financial, and economic standpoint.
The railway line is expected to connect to Zambia’s and Botswana’s rail network, thereby providing direct access to regional railway traffic to the Walvis Bay Port.
MR Technofin Consultants said discussions on rail operations and rolling stock requirements of the feasibility report have assumed that the current railway line between Walvis Bay and Grootfontein will be upgraded to meet the recommended design specifications of the Trans Zambezi Railway.
The Trans-Zambezi’s commercial potential hinges on seamless train movement between the proposed (Grootfontein- Katima Mulilo) and Namibia’s current network between Grootfontein and Walvis Bay.
The report said the railway line will depend on significant freight potential coming from regional transit traffic, through connectivity to and from the Walvis Bay port is immensely important.
The prospects for the project has been boosted by other projects like the one by Botswana and Zambia that are currently working bilaterally and are in the final stages of tendering a feasibility study for 367 km railway line from Mosetse (Botswana) to Kazungula (Zambia) via the Kazungula Bridge.
The other project is a proposed 56 km railway line from Mmamabula (Botswana) to Lephalale (South Africa).
In view of this development, the MR Technofin Consultants has found that connecting the proposed line from Katima Mulilo into Botswana via Ngoma (Namibia) is a ‘potential’ option apart from direct connectivity to Zambia through Katima Mulilo- Sesheke.
From Ngoma, the line would traverse Northwest Botswana, connect with the proposed Mosetse – Kazungula line and ultimately connect with Kazungula Bridge (and eventually, Livingstone, Zambia).
