Namibianrailwayesxpanding andaimingforprofitability
NAMIBIANrailoperator TransNamibreopenedthe 318km Keetmanshoopto Liideritzline in 2019after rehabilitationwork.
Theline hadbeenout of use sincethe turn of the century, in part becauseof sanddunes coveringthe line.
The1,067mm-gaugeline, which originallyopenedin 1908,is being usedto transport manganeseto the Atlanticport of Liideritz,with up to 30,000 tonnesshippedby rail each month.
TransNamibmayintroduce passengesr erviceson the line,althoughthe coronavirus pandemichashit its tourist passengebr usiness everely, with the companyhaving recentlyunveileda new business planwith the objectiveof operatingprofitably by 2023.
In recentmonths,TransNamib hasstartedto moderniseits locofleet,which was previously dependenton locosleasedfrom SouthAfrica.
A programmeto rebuildand re-enginearound20 of the fleet of ex-SouthAfricanClass32 and 33 GEdiesellocos,dating from the mid-1960si,s currently underway.In addition,the 17 Chinese-builCt lassSDD6locos, deliveredin 2007,arenow in line for rebuilding.Whilerelatively modern,the six-axlelocoswere mostlystoredby 2014partly becauseof a lackof spareparts from CRRCin China.
In 2015locoSDD60008was sentto Koedoespoorti,n South Africa,and was rebuilt there by TransnetEngineering.
Therebuildisconsidereda successb,ut the locostill needs electricalmodificationsbeforeit canbe usedon the mainline.
In early-2020TransNamib decidedto rebuildanother10 'SDD6l'ocosto bolsteritsfleet.
Thenewestlocosin the TransNamibfleet arethe six Brazilian-buil'tC23EMPs'ix-axle locomotivessuppliedby GEin 2017.
Theywereorderedfor a new 10-yearcontractto transport sulphuricacidfromTsumebto Arandis,but soon becamean important part of the fleet,and can be seenhaulinganything.
Theyweredeliveredin January 2017and numberedTD1001-6, but quicklyrenumbered to TD601-6a, sthe original numbersclashedwith some leasedlocos.Howevera, ll six were brieflystoredin March 2020with brakingissuesthat havenow beenresolved.
■ Ourthanksto RichardGennis forsomeof theinformationin this report.