(3 Minutes Read)
A review of the 2022 Safety Report by the auditor General’s office, revealed that the number of safety occurrences reported during the period under review increased to 696 from 642 occurrences in 2021, with 537 attributed to track failure
Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) is facing a major crisis in its recapitalization and modernization project. The project is aimed at improving the efficiency and safety of the railway network, reducing transit times and costs, and increasing revenue for the company. However, the project has been marred by safety concerns, financial mismanagement, and delayed deliveries. These have led to increased transit times, reduced freight volumes, and financial losses.
One of the major issues affecting the project is the poor state of the railway infrastructure, including the tracks, bridges, culverts, and drainages. A review of the 2022 Safety Report by the auditor General’s office, revealed that the number of safety occurrences reported during the period under review increased to 696 from 642 occurrences in 2021, with 537 attributed to track failure.
As a result, sections of the rail were placed on a temporal speed limit of 15 km/hr from an average speed of 50 km/hr, resulting in increased transit time for passengers and cargo. This resulted in increased transit time for passengers and cargo from an estimated 36 hours to an estimated 72 hours for a distance from Victoria Falls in Livingstone to Chililabombwe.
As a result of the increased transit time for passengers and cargo, ZRL failed to haul the planned 2,147,681 tonnes of freight for which revenue amounting to K780,861,229 was expected to be generated. Instead, ZRL hauled 1,612,486 tonnes which generated revenue of K389,506,100 resulting in a negative variance of 535,195 tons worth K391,355,129.
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Another issue affecting ZRL is the failed delivery of fifty (50) wagons from Transnet – Freight rail -TFR, which was meant to compensate for the fifty (50) wagons that were either lost or damaged beyond repair on TFR lines in South Africa. However, as of 30th September 2023, the wagons had not been received, causing further delays and disruptions to ZRL’s operations.
