About NRZ ....

THE first railway into former Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) was incorporated in 1893 and opened in 1897. In 1967, Rhodesia Railways was divided at the Victoria Falls.

The southern division is what became National Railways of Zimbabwe, while the northern section now constitutes Zambia Railways.

The first train arrived in Bulawayo in 1897.

Line construction began from Fontesvilla (55km from Beira, Mozambique) to Umtali (now Mutare) in September 1892 and from Vryburg in Cape Province, South Africa to Bulawayo in May 1893.

The latter was completed in October 1897 and the former four months later in February 1898.

The link between Harare and Bulawayo took place in October 1902 after the initial construction was brought to a halt by the outbreak of AngloBoer war in October 1899 which necessitated the supply of materials via the Beira line.

The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) is now a designated corporate body established by an Act of Parliament.

It is wholly owned by the government of Zimbabwe and as such operates in accordance with the public sector rules and regulations, as amended from time to time.

It is mandated to provide, operate and maintain an efficient system of public transportation of goods and passengers by rail.

What is our business?

NRZ’s business is partitioned into the following portfolios:

Freight services

NRZ, as the country’s leading bulk transporter plays a critical role in transporting inputs and finished products for productive sectors of the economy.

NRZ’s business consists of organisations in the agricultural, industrial, mining and energy sectors which require rail services for the bulk movement of their inputs and outputs, locally as well as across the borders.

The organisation is also responsible for the movement of all classes of transit traffic predominantly to/ from the seaports from/to the landlocked countries to the north of Zimbabwe.

Passenger services

The NRZ provides passenger train services for the bulk movement of travellers between cities and intramajor cities.

The inter-city passenger service is strategically designed to link major cities and towns in Zimbabwe in order to offer an affordable and convenient mode of travel mainly to the medium to lower income groups of the society while intra-city commuter service provides a cheaper means of ferrying workers to and from work as well as alleviating transport problems faced by commuters, especially during peak hours in the major cities of Harare and Bulawayo.

Real estate

This business unit is responsible for overseeing NRZ’s real estate assets which incorporate land, office accommodation, residential houses (employees and private tenants), warehouses and commercial developments at stations and sidings together with joint venture developments on railway reserves.

The development of the railways in Zimbabwe was directed by several considerations among which was the need to establish a line to serve the mining and agricultural enterprises which were fast being established along the Zimbabwean watershed and elsewhere, and to link the land locked country with sea-ports in Mozambique and South Africa.