CHAMWE KAIRA
The proposed upgrades of railway infrastructure under funding from the African Development Bank and the Namibian government is at procurement stage with some activities on the ground. However, no implementation of any activity has yet started, except preparation and compilation of solicitation documents, Robert Kalomho director of railway infrastructure management said when asked about the progress on the project. The funding from both the AFDB and the government totals about N$7,6 billion.
The project will see the upgrade of the section between Kranzberg to Otjiwarongo and Kalomho said this will take up to four years to complete.
In October last year, the board of directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved a loan of US$196.43million for Namibia to implement the second phase of its Transport Infrastructure Improvement Project (TIIP).
The loan represents 51.8 percent of the project’s total cost. The Namibian government will provide the remaining 48.2 percent.
The project aligns with Namibia’s long-term Vision 2030 to the country’s Namibia’s logistics value chain by tackling railway infrastructure bottlenecks. It will also help to strengthen the trade competitiveness of Namibia and the southern African subregion.
The project entails constructing of new rail track close to the existing line between Kranzberg and Otjiwarongo, using concrete railway sleepers and new rails. The works include constructing 16 bridges, renovating two stations, and procuring 55 000 tonnes of rails to build 518 kilometers of track. Other components include modernizing the railway signaling system along the Walvis Bay-Tsumeb line to improve its reliability, safety and capacity, as well as the overall performance of the railway system.
Recognizing the importance of good rail connectivity for bulk cargo, this TIIP Phase II would bring to 417 km the cumulative rail upgraded by the Bank after it supported a previous renovation for 210 km [Walvis Bay to Kranzberg] under the project.
Having previously funded the expansion of the container terminal at the Port of Walvis Bay, the bank is supporting integrating Namibia regionally by building critical port and rail infrastructure to connect the country to the rest of the region, move goods, support value chains and promote trade.
Most of the upgraded railway line crosses commercial agricultural land and many urban areas. Transporters, agricultural communities and industries along the corridor will benefit from faster commuting thanks to affordable, reliable, safe rail transport that will boost regional and national development. Road maintenance costs are also expected to reduce as bulk cargo transporters shift from road to rail.
The African Development Bank Group has been operating in Namibia since 1991. As at 30 September 2023, the bank group’s active portfolio in Namibia was estimated at approximately US$687 million.
