The President of the Republic of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, has laid the first stone in the reconstruction of the Dona Ana/Vila Nova da Fronteira railway, the historic rail link between Mozambique and Malawi.
The Dona Ana/Vila Nova da Fronteira line has been out of commission since September 1986. The infrastructure to be rebuilt is around 45 km in length, and the recommisioning is intended to allow the running of both freight and passenger trains between the Port of Beira and neighbouring Malawi.
Speaking at the ceremony, held on Saturday 29 May, in Mutara district in the province of Tete, President Nyusi explained that the reconstructed railway will deliver a major boost for the economic and social sectors in Mozambique and in the wider SADC region. “With this railway connection, the desire of Mozambique and Malawi to improve the logistics of imports and exports between the two countries and with the rest of the region will materialise,” he said.
Miguel Matabel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CFM – Mozambique Ports & Railways, also stressed the importance of the reconstruction project, not only for the country’s economy, but also for improving the lives of Mozambicans living in the region. “The rehabilitation of this infrastructure will contribute to the creation of more than 150 new jobs, for which we intend to hire local labour,” he noted. “We also plan to set up a professional technical school, which will be able to contribute to the training of staff in this region of the country.”
Source: CFM