Staff writer
The restoration of the railway line between Walvis Bay and Kranzberg at Arandis in Namibia, with a total length of nearly 110 kilometers, by a Chinese construction company was completed on last Tuesday.
The project was undertaken by China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC). The development, which is one of the key national development projects, is set to enhance 70% of the railway network, and make the railway transportation meet the railway transport capacity of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
“The Walvis Bay – Kranzberg line is one of the biggest lines for TransNamib since it feeds from the port to the hinterland. It is a strategically located route, allowing us to move bulk goods from the port to other areas in Namibia. TransNamib is favourably positioned in terms of the amount of cargo it can move and its connectivity in its routes to strategic business hubs within and outside Namibia to countries such as South Africa, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo,” said Johny Smith, chief executive officer of TransNamib.
Before the restoration project, the railway had been in use for nearly a century, and trains could run no more than 40 kilometers per hour. Now the trains can travel at 80 kilometers per hour after the restoration.
Since the start of the project at the end of November 2020, CGGC has overcome many difficulties such as the COVID-19 pandemic, frequent strong winds and dust, and insufficient supply of local materials to ensure the high quality delivery of the project, said CGGC representative Li Lijie.
It has also provided more than 500 local jobs and trained a number of skilled workers for Namibia, according to CGGC.
The railway restoration project is an important project of the Namibian government’s Vision 2030 plan. Upon completion, it will enhance transport capacity and drive economic development along the route, said VeikkoNekundi, Namibia’s Deputy Minister of Works and Transport in a recent inspection to the site of the construction.
The project is funded by the Namibian government with 56% of its own funds and 44% of the loan from the African Development Bank.
The upgrade of the railway line was officially launched in December 2020 by the minister of works and transport John Mutorwa.
The construction cost US$72,72 million (estimated at N$1,029 billion).
Mutorwa said that continuous investment in infrastructure development is a key priority of the Namibian government, which will stimulate economic growth and improve the country’s competitiveness in the international logistics arena.
The three-year rail rehabilitation project will enable freight trains to run at up to 80 km/h and passenger trains at up to 100 km/h. The 1067 mm gauge line was last upgraded in the 1960s. Its current condition imposes speed restrictions and increases the cost of transporting goods inland from the port.
“This project in the context of Namibia’s Logistics Hub Master Plan and Integrated Transport Master Plan is a key infrastructure element to realise our Logistics Hub ambitions by adding additional capacity for the railway mode of transport,” said WBCG’s Projects Manager,Gilbert Boois.
He further noted that railway line upgrade will induce and stimulate demand for modal shift towards rail and improve our economies of scale, and in so doing enhance the competitiveness of our corridor.
“We are proud to announce that the WBCG’s Wellness Service was recently appointed as the main consultant to develop an HIV/AIDS sensitisationprogramme targeting employees working along the railway line between Walvis Bay and Kranzberg. The Wellness Service deployed two wellness mobile clinics to showcase their service offerings to invited guests at the ceremony,” he concluded.
