Botswana Guardian

Africa’s railway revolution in full swing: Part 2

- Grahame McLeod

Last week, we looked at how many African countries are now modernisin­g and extending their railway networks after decades of neglect. So, there is no real excuse for Botswana not to modernise and extend its rail network. For several years [ or is it decades?], we have heard about plans to build new lines. Firstly, the 100- kilometre line from Mmamabula to Lephalale in neighbouri­ng South Africa. This short line will link up with the South African rail network and so will help facilitate the transport of coal from the Mmamabula coalfields to the South African port of Durban, from where it can be exported overseas. Due to the Russia- Ukraine conflict, the demand for Botswana’s coal has skyrockete­d despite environmen­talists and conservati­onists urging countries to replace coal with more renewable sources of energy. So, coal is not going away anytime soon and some scientists are now realising that the transition, which might be costly in many countries, will likely take more time than expected. And solar and wind power may not always be reliable since on some days there may be little wind and the sun may refuse to shine.

The 1 000- kilometre Trans- Kalahari line is another rail project that has not yet seen the light of day. And yet it makes plenty of sense. This line could run from Botswana’s main line westwards to link up with the Namibian rail network, for example, at Gobabis, or the Keetmansho­op- Windhoek main line. It will help to develop the Kgalagadi and Ngamiland, two marginalis­ed areas that have the highest poverty rates in Botswana. And Ngamiland is also home to the Kalahari Copper Belt where new copper- zinc mines are now being developed. And more orebodies are likely to be discovered and exploited in the near future. This mineral boom is likely to last for several years given the rise in demand for electric vehicles. In addition, iron ore is now being mined at Ikongwe, near Shoshong, and there are also plans to open new manganese mines in the Lobatse- Kanye area. And more iron ore deposits have been identified in areas around the Tsodilo Hills. Plus huge coal deposits – over 200 billion

Now if we cannot operate a single passenger train each day on existing track, then at present it seems most unlikely that the major rail projects described previously will ever see the light of day.

tons of the stuff!

All these minerals are heavy and bulky and, unlike diamonds, railways are an economic way of moving them. So, this line can be used to transport these minerals to the Namibian port of Walvis Bay. And the distance between this port and European markets is shorter, and hence less costly, than shipping these minerals from Durban. These days, long delays are commonplac­e in Durban, in contrast to Walvis Bay where volumes of freight handled are much less.

Lastly, the proposed 300- kilometre line between Mosetse, on the existing Francistow­n- Sua Pan line, and Kazungula. During the constructi­on of the recently opened bridge across the Zambezi, provision was made for a single- track line. On the Zambian side, a short 70- kilometre line could then be built to Livingston­e to connect with the existing Zambian rail network. This will help facilitate trade between

Botswana/ South Africa and countries to the north, including the DRC and East Africa.

So, we can see that Botswana, like other countries, can greatly benefit from the building of such new lines. But firstly, Botswana should maximise the use of its existing main line. If other African countries can improve and extend their rail networks, then why can’t Botswana do likewise? Rather than building shopping malls in Gaborone and Francistow­n, BR should focus on its core business of providing a modern efficient passenger and freight service.

To maximise the use of our main line, BR needs to get the BR Express back on the rails once again. At present, the return bus fare from Gaborone to Francistow­n is P310. Now before the pandemic, one could buy a return train ticket between the two cities for just P70. So, even if BR decided to double the fare, from P70 to P140, it would still amount to only half the bus fare. And this would help BR to become more profitable and so cover its costs.

BR is a parastatal, not a private company, and so the passenger train should not be grounded simply because it is making a loss. Delivering a service should be considered more important, no matter the cost! Government needs to come on board to revitalise the ‘ Blue Train.’ BR need to modernise the line – a double track, standard gauge line will do wonders in reducing travel times and improving efficiency. And it will reduce the chance of derailment­s like the one that occurred in December 2019 which caused the deaths of many people near Mahalapye. This will be money better spent than converting the whole length of the A1 into a dual carriagewa­y. However, railways in neighbouri­ng states should also be upgraded if Botswana is to fully benefit from improving its rail network. This is because our railways do not exist in isolation; they are connected to railway systems in neighbouri­ng countries

Travelling by rail may also be much more convenient than travelling by bus. For example, you may live in Francistow­n and wish to attend a meeting in Gaborone. You can then take the night train and arrive in Gaborone early next morning. After the meeting, you can then take the night train back to Francistow­n, thus saving two nights’ accommodat­ion bills.

Now if we cannot operate a single passenger train each day on existing track, then at present it seems most unlikely that the major rail projects described previously will ever see the light of day. And it’s not like that we have to buy new rolling stock. In other words, such projects will remain a pipedream with the plans gathering dust in someone’s air- conditione­d office. BR needs to formulate a bold, ambitious vision for the future. Or maybe BR needs to be privatised; after all, our national airline, Air Botswana, may soon fall into private hands in the near future with the hope that it will better serve the needs of the country. Only time will tell!

Batswana truly deserve a world class railway system of which they can be proud. Let us hope that their patience will be rewarded in due time!

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