Friday, March 29, 2024

North West Rail Company to start Rail Construction soon

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Former Vice President Enock Kavindele
Former Vice President Enock Kavindele
THE construction of the much-talked-about railway line in North-Western Province linking Zambia to Angola seems certain following the investment of more than US$12 million into the project as the actual works start soon.

North-Western Rail Company chairperson, Enoch Kavindele said his firm had invested more than $12 million in the acquisition of various pieces of equipment for the crusher, railway track sleepers’ factory and a fleet of vehicles.

The project is estimated to cost $1.2 billion and will create about 8,000 jobs during the construction period and more than 3, 000 jobs after it is completed.

Mr Kavindele said this in Lusaka yesterday when he unveiled the fleet of vehicles bound for Solwezi in North-Western Province in readiness for the ground-breaking ceremony of the $1.2 billion railway line by the Government.

He said the railway line was cardinal in resolving the transportation hurdles faced by mining companies in North-Western province.

This will involve the construction of about 580-kilometre rail line to link Zambia with Angola.

“We have taken delivery of a crusher which we are now assembling in Solwezi as well as a rail track sleepers manufacturing plant. At the crusher we will employ about 100 local people,” Mr Kavindele said.
He said the rail track sleepers manufacturing plant would create about 327 jobs for the local people.

“With regard to the routes we have done about 65 per cent of the route the idea is that Government will introduce a Statutory Instrument (SI) stating that all heavy cargo should now use rail instead of roads this has affected the operations of the mines in North-Western hence the need for us to expedite our works,” he said.

Mr Kavindele said the mines were also not allowed to move their haulage of heavy equipment, inputs as well as outputs at night stating that his company was in a hurry to get the railway line operational.

“We expect to have three contractors that will be working on the railway line between Chingola in the Copperbelt to Saint Dorothy, another camp will be set up from Saint Dorothy towards Solwezi and from Solwezi towards Lumwana mine and Kalumbila mine,” Mr Kavindele said.

He said the rail line was important to the region as it would create jobs for the local people and help to reduce pressure on the Solwezi-Chingola road from damage as the transportation of copper would be done by rail.

Last year, Government indicated that it will acquire 30 per cent of equity shares in the North-West Rail Company.

28 COMMENTS

    • At-list the PF government has given you chance to develop Zambia. I know people of north western do not appreciate any good thing but just do if Mr Kavindele and the PF government.

    • The wog wash lies have started. This Kavindele last year said that the railway construction would start on 17~1~17, but this almost March. Even LT reported about EK’s date. Now this EK is yapping that “soon” without giving the actual day.
      What happened with 17 January? Lies have short legs! Give people the day & time ~not only yapping that “soon”.
      By the way, how are the kids after visionless Lungu’s top bandit Kaiser~Wilhelm Zulu shot at them in a parking lot@ charisma@2am? Is the contract to construct the railway as per your “soon” a pay rise to the shotting of EKs kids by KZ or something?!
      Yapping short legged lies by these bandits.
      The Skeleton Key
      ~206~

    • LT on 3 November 2016 reported that & quote~ “Kavindele’s North-west railway construction to begin in January 2017” but this Enoch Kavindele is now lying with his tongue that “soon” is laughable.
      Never believe anything these PF coated bandits say, all tick tock tick tock & no action.
      The Skeleton Key
      ~206~

    • This project was completed long time ago. If you go at the Solwezi Chingola turn off and travel 2 KM you find Kavindele’s rail project. It is a 10m railway line . He should now be telling us when he is bringing the trais to move on the line.

    • On the day November 3~2016~The Skeleton Key commented that~”Well & okay Enoch Kavindele. Come January 2017 the start of constructing the railway is awaited, no yaps of PF’s incompetence Donchi Kubeba maladies, metaphysically Dununa reverse, poor economics & no rule of law.
      Dreams of 11,000 jobs, which 3,000 will be permanent can’t be materialized, b’coz Lungu has failed to create 500,000 jobs yapped all along. Accountability for this project is highly on E.K with 3,000 permanent jobs after completion in 2020?
      Really, 30% for the violence & visionless hoodlums of Lungu’s PF bandits, when Zamtel, Zesco & mines are up for liquidating!? Post too!”
      The Skeleton Key
      ~206~

    • This time it’s not a story. There were so many people blocking this project for a long time. Now it’s actually taking off. This is good for our country.

  1. Let us support him on this one. RB frustrated this guy’s ambitious endeavor. I know he can do it. He is very much capable. We need to have this railway to save our roads. It may have taken long but believe me this will come to fruition soon.

    • @7 Jay Jay, the $12million is the initial investment he has done in mobilization. The actual cost is $1.2 bn! We should actually support him for doing something our governments have failed to do! This is a more viable project than the Petauke to Mchinji railway. The cargo to be transported on NW railways is already there all we need is changes to policies to make things happen!

  2. Finally those marathon you were making during campaigns have materialized kaa. The support of ECL was indeed not in vain. It’s good for you but you needed not to bootlick for favours to proceed with that project. Anyway that’s Zambia for you

  3. Rail line, but no electricity, are they going to use hand signals or send messengers on bicycles to warn the next train. Or may be there will be only one train, on the line. Building a monorail for 12 million dollars does not sound like an investment to me. Is this for theme park.

    • @9 The Amish Boy, please read the story again. The $12million is the initial investment he has done in mobilization. The actual cost is $1.2 bn! We should actually support him for doing something our governments have failed to do

  4. WELL DONE EK, WE NEED OUR OWN “DANGOTES”. It just hurts that INSTEAD OF GOVERNMENT TAKING THIS PROJECT SERIOUSLY THEY HAVE STARTED A MORE EXPENSIVE AND SEEMINGLY LESS VIABLE PROJECT IN EASTERN PROVINCE CONNECTING TO NACALA! THIS IS A PROJECT THAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED A LONG TIME AGO! EK you need the support of all Zambians on this, well done!

  5. Amount invested $12m’n total Project cost $1.2B’n. Only 1% has been invested these are jokes! At this rate it will take us a millennium to finish this project.

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