Railway project ahead of schedule

THE first phase of the northern railway project should be completed far ahead of its scheduled date of September, Minister of Works, Transport and Communication Joel Kaapanda said last week.

Kaapanda told the National Assembly that the railway track from Tsumeb had now reached Ondangwa. The total length of the new railway line is 246 kilometres and brings the total railway network in Namibia to 2 628 kilometres.Outlining to Parliament how the Department of Transport will spend the N$675 million allocated to it in this financial year, Kaapanda said the second phase of this railway project, from Ondangwa to Oshikango, would also start this year.”The main aim [of the railway] is to accelerate regional economic co-operation and integration, promote socio-economic development, reduce poverty and create employment opportunities along the corridors [Trans-Kalahari, Trans-Caprivi and Walvis Bay],” said Kaapanda on Thursday.It is his vision that the transportation of heavy cargo such as cement, minerals and other industrial goods will largely be by rail.”Rail transport will equally complement road transport, thus reducing the damaging impact of heavy vehicles on the road infrastructure,” said Kaapanda.He further reported good progress on the Government’s second railway project, the 139 km rehabilitation and upgrade of the Aus-Luederitz line.The completion of this railway line is expected to facilitate the transportation of zinc and copper from the Skorpion and Rosh Pinah mines to Luederitz for export.Kaapanda said routine railway infrastructure maintenance done by TransNamib had revealed that most of the rail network required rehabilitation and upgrading in order to handle heavy cargo.During debate on the Ministry’s budget vote on Friday, Ben Ulenga of the Congress of Democrats impressed on Government the importance of linking Namibia by rail to Botswana and Zambia.He said the development of infrastructure in the country was happening too slowly.Kaapanda said heavy rains this season had caused extensive damage to roads and railways, and millions of dollars would have to be spent repairing them.During this financial year, the Rundu-Siko-Nkurenkuru-Elundu road and the Kamanjab-Omakange road will be upgraded.The projects should be completed during the next financial year.The Outapi-Tsandi-Okahao road is also scheduled for completion by June.The total length of the new railway line is 246 kilometres and brings the total railway network in Namibia to 2 628 kilometres.Outlining to Parliament how the Department of Transport will spend the N$675 million allocated to it in this financial year, Kaapanda said the second phase of this railway project, from Ondangwa to Oshikango, would also start this year.”The main aim [of the railway] is to accelerate regional economic co-operation and integration, promote socio-economic development, reduce poverty and create employment opportunities along the corridors [Trans-Kalahari, Trans-Caprivi and Walvis Bay],” said Kaapanda on Thursday.It is his vision that the transportation of heavy cargo such as cement, minerals and other industrial goods will largely be by rail.”Rail transport will equally complement road transport, thus reducing the damaging impact of heavy vehicles on the road infrastructure,” said Kaapanda.He further reported good progress on the Government’s second railway project, the 139 km rehabilitation and upgrade of the Aus-Luederitz line.The completion of this railway line is expected to facilitate the transportation of zinc and copper from the Skorpion and Rosh Pinah mines to Luederitz for export.Kaapanda said routine railway infrastructure maintenance done by TransNamib had revealed that most of the rail network required rehabilitation and upgrading in order to handle heavy cargo.During debate on the Ministry’s budget vote on Friday, Ben Ulenga of the Congress of Democrats impressed on Government the importance of linking Namibia by rail to Botswana and Zambia.He said the development of infrastructure in the country was happening too slowly.Kaapanda said heavy rains this season had caused extensive damage to roads and railways, and millions of dollars would have to be spent repairing them.During this financial year, the Rundu-Siko-Nkurenkuru-Elundu road and the Kamanjab-Omakange road will be upgraded.The projects should be completed during the next financial year.The Outapi-Tsandi-Okahao road is also scheduled for completion by June.