Mr. Mushimba said the US$2.3 billion project will be funded by the Chinese government and was expected to create 8,000 direct jobs.
He said Government has since submitted the report to the Zambia Environmental Management Authority (ZEMA) for approval.
Mr. Mushimba said the contractor has also already done the bankable documents to look at the economics of the railway.
He said the Ministry of Finance has also submitted the loan applications and hoping to access the funds before July 2017.
“The contractor is ready and once the works commence it will take four years. “The contractors will break and spread into three categories with the other one in Chipata, Petauke and Serenje,” he said.
Mr. Mushimba said that funding for the 388.8 km rail line was part of the US $60 billion funds committed to infrastructure development in Africa signed by Chinese President Xi Ji Ping in South Africa two years ago.
He said that the rail line would promote local and international trade once completed.
Mr. Mushimba said that the project was meant to enhance regional and international trade through the Nacala Development Corridor with a direct economic stimulus in Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.
“The contract to construct the 388 km of railway has been signed with the China Railway Construction Corporation Limited,” Mr. Mushimba said.
He said the railway line would link Zambia main railway with the Malawian line through the Chipata-Mchinji railway.
Mr. Mushimba said once the Chipata-Petauke-Serenje railway line was completed it would provide the shortest route of 1,500 km to the sea from Kapiri Mposhi.
Where is kavindelis railway that was supposed to start construction last year ?
And he sung so mant songs parining the drunk fro favours..vilikuti…bali bafonyafye…
The kaponyas were sontaring with kavindele while dancing dununna reversee and singing how many jobs enoch kavindeles railway will create.. …..
Only someone mentally retarded would refuse to acknowledge the Hard-work this Government is doing, Airports, Malls, Railway Line, you name it all is happening under President Lungu.
Haters can kiss my backside for all I care.
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Look at this dull person, ati shopping malls is development. The airport and rsilways are on paper like the opening of mulugushi textiles or the KWa 45 bag of walk meal promised by lungu or 500,000 jobs promised by lungu
You see when you take a savage out if the componi, teach them some English and take them to the UK where they now think they are white, they see shopping malls and think that is development.
Oblivious to what goes on behind the scenes to stock this shopping malls.
certain projects are a waste money….how much is coming through mchinji railway
These Northerners will finish all the women in eastern province
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST VIABLE PROJECTS THE GOVERNMENT IS ENDAVOURING TO IMPLEMENT. THE PROJECT ENCAMPASSES A LOT OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AND WILL BE RESPONSIBLE IN CREATING AT LEAST A MILLION JOB DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY. THE DIRECT ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THIS PROJECT OF COURSE WILL BE FARMING, TOURISM AND OF COURSE TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION. TRADE WILL JUST BE NATURAL. ONCE PROPERLY PLANNED AND INTIGRATED INTO ALL THESE, FOOD PROCESSING PLANTS CAN ALSO BE ESTABLISHED SINCE WHEREVER THE RAIL LINE WILL PASS THERE WILL BE A LOT OF FARMING DUE TO EASY OF TRANSPORTION OF FARM PRODUCE TO PROCESSING AREAS AND MARKETS. THIS PROJECT IS SIMILAR TO THE COPPERBELT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN QUALITY AND QUANTITY.
@3 Peter.. WHILE this could be a good project in the ling run, YOUR ASSERTIONS LOOK FAR FETCHED! For example, how much agric produce is transported by TAZARA, how many tourists? A RAILWAY LINE ALONE without complementary infrastructure like electricity and access roads CANNOT lead to all what you mentioned!
Yes bwafaa, this is not just chritiscising for the sake of it but we have look at the bigger picture.
Has the current railway enhanced all those things stated ?
@3.2 THANKS FOR YOUR DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT I STATED. IN FACT I EVEN WROTE, “ONCE PROPERLY PLANNED AND INTIGRATED INTO ALL THESE…”. GUYS, LET’S NOT ARGUE FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUING. IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN TO THESE PLACES OR AT LEAST SOME OF THE PLACES WHERE THE RAIL LINE WILL PASS, YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHAT I TALKED ABOUT AND THE BEST THING FOR YOU @3.1 IS TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION OF WHAT WILL MAKE THE PROJECT VIABLE IN THE CONTEXT I HAVE DISCUSSED. EASTERN, MUCHINGA, CENTRAL, LUAPULA AND NORTHERN PROVINCES WHERE THE RAIL LINE WILL PASS ARE THE MOST FERTILE LANDS WITH COPIOUS RAINS IN ZAMBIA. AGAIN, THESE ARE THE MOST ATTRACTIVE BUT UNDEVELOPED TOURSITS HIGH POTENTIALS. SERENJE IS NOT FAR FROM THE BANGWEULU WETLANDS CONNECTING TO NCHELENGE AND FROM SERENJE MPULUNGU IS NOT VERY FAR.
Peter
I have always thought railways in poor countries are usually built to complement mining activities , I could be wrong.
Could agriculture alone make a line viable ? Unless we are talking serious hecarage farming. And suppose the line is built on an agriculture premise , What happens if the target markets also go into agriculture big time ?
Also Because we all know tourists would rather drive. Again I could be wrong….
Bwafya,
TAZARA passes through bemba land where farming is not taken seriously. They would rather go to the Copperbelt and become miners
I still believe that while this project may be important, it could be MORE VIABLE A LOT LATER! I believe US$2.3Bn COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER SPENT ON IMPROVING OUR POWER GENERATION,TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION, by investing in alternative sources of electricity beyond the hydro from the our traditional sources on the Zambezi and Kafue rivers! WHAT GREAT GAIN WILL IT BE IF WE HAVE A BRAND NEW RAILWAY LINE THAT CONNECTS TO INEFFICIENT OR NON-FUNCTIONING LINES IN NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES? What would we have gained if after completing our line there the Port of Nacala does not improve? What if Malawi or Mozambique or both fail to run their railways to optimize the entire line from Port (Nacala) to Kapiri? But if invested in power we could also solve our problems and export to others!!
Hmm… what are they going to do about the double altitude barrier of the Luangwa Rift Valley which lies between Serenje and Petauke? Maybe a bridge from Serenje to Petauke? Or an escalator for trains. It’s some kind of surrealism at work
City of Chipata already has one white elephant – CHIPATA/MCHINJI rail line where trains dont operate. All thats is seen between the rail tracks is the grass and shrubs. And now CHIPATA/PETAUKE/SERENJE project – another white elephant indeed.
What corrupt people do is they discuss and find projects to borrow against knowing full well there is no need for those projects.
It is just a way of siphoning money against the countries account.
We know there is 60 billion from China, but that money is not for free.
More country wide consultations are needed before more borrowing is done in zambias name.
Negative Negative Negative Negative. Why can’t we give credit where it is due. The government is trying to open another route through the port of Nacara other than depending on port of Dar alone. We do not have local cargo between Kapiri and Nakonde comparing to our counterparts in Tanzania. In my opinion the new line can boost business for TAZARA looking at production of Tobacco and cotton in Eastern Province. Currently copper is being transported by road through Eastern Province thereby putting pressure on our roads. The distance between Kapiri and Dar is 1864km so this new rail can shorten transit time for cargo that is conveyed via the port of Dar.
To me this is a viable project in a seance that it is the shortest route to the port, Because this will reduce the cost of living
Peter, you talk of processing, manufacturing, how do we do this without electricity. Not being negative but realistic, travel to dar by train and tell me how much manufacturinf is happening between new kapiri and dar.
Is this money a loan or a grant. Why are chinesee so keeen to provide funds to us, dont confuse invest and provision of funding. International think tanks have oredicted china’s population will outstrip it ability to provide food for its people thats why they have offered to build a world road. So they have access to land to feed their pipo. They are buying farms in australia then exporting produ t to china. Western world czn monitor what us happening but third world countries are just happy to get funding without thinking of consequences. We have already lost ZNBC…
What China is doing is to make the idea of a global village a reality. If the Chinese want our food, they are going to buy it from us and provide us with forex. China is already our biggest importer of copper; when it fails to buy copper the prices go down. If countries like China, or Tanzania choose to buy our products, that is not manipulation of our economy, but for our benefit. All we need is to strategise as a country on how we can best fair on world trade. There are lots of benefits for this rail road.
The problem here not the type of the project, but commenting from a shallow point of veiw. Is electricity the only we need in this country? Right now we hv alot of investments going on in that sector. China has pledged $60b for infra dev in Africa & yo role is to identify a project that will this help country develop. We hv pressure on roads, ZR is in ICU; TAZARA is ailing as well especially on the Zambian side. Yes u may not see the benefits now like Mungu Kalabo road. but put politics aside, read the SNDP and widen scope of understanding issues. Believe me when our railway networks are modernised, that is when u will appreciate the great benefits that come with it. Are u aware of one Railway Network in Africa propasal discussed in Ethopia by AU few yrs ago? Let us look at
Zambia with…
@12 i have no political point of view mine is purely for zambia to develop.
We aspire to be a manufacturing/industrial country. You show which country is capable of industrialisation without a stable electricity supply. Will a railroad encourage industry to invest or will a reliable electricity supply be more appealing. We really need both but if you prioritise which has greater priority.
Factories need electricity and transport. We have new roads we have trucks in my mind electricity first.
We build a railway first, then what industry is there to use jt because no factoriex becoz no power. Trainline becomes white elephant but the debt is real.never my friend accuse me of being pro political for one party or another. I am pro zambia
At12 follow your own logic ZR in ICU TAZARA ailing on zambia side. So a third rail network will do what tbe other two haven’t.
Its not the projects that are wrong, per se, but the style of management and maintenance tbat we employ
Unfortunately our poverty doesnt lend itself to transparent management. We all need to chew and that is the wrong thinking
First, the funding is from the US government, and not the Zambian coffers for anyone to divert the funds to other project (it is build-the-railway-line-or-leave-the-money-alone agreement). SO the money can’t be directed elsewhere as you wish. Some would say the government could have contracted a Zambian company (I don’t think the companies that are failing to finish medium-sized houses can do this project). If you ask me why the Chipata-Petauke-Serenje railway will be viable, I can assure you that Eastern Province is prospering on agriculture. It will be cheapper to transport farm goods to Northern and Central Province through rail.
The boundaries and towns of the USA have changed over time. In the 19th century, the western states like California were sheer forests with very little…
Ndelolesha fye,guys let’s put politics aside when we are talking about development in a country.I support the idea of railway line to be constructed in such places,transportation of copper from copper belt to eastern by road its far. Eastern has good soil for farming.joke…. Its going to be easy to transport (mbeba) rats from chipata to Bemba’s and exchange with (kolwez)monkeys than passing thru Lusaka.