A leading Canadian train manufacturer called Bombardier has urged the Zambian government to speed up the revival of the Zambia Railways.
Bombardier Head of Rail for Africa Christian Bengtsson told Zambia’s Ambassador to Germany Anthony Mukwita that a viable railway line will play a pivotal role in the transportation of goods and services in order to enhance economic growth.
According to press statement issued by First Secretary for Press at the Zambian Embassy in Germany Kellys Kaunda, Mr. Bengtsson said reviving Zambia Railways will complement the planned return of Zambia Airways.
“Government must invest in the revival of Zambia Railways for Zambia Airways to fully make a positive business mark as the country seeks to become Southern Africa’s trade hub,” he said.
Mr. Bengtsson expressed concern that despite signing a Memorandum of Understanding in 2016 to revitalize Zambia Railways, the deal has not progressed.
However, Zambia’s Ambassador to Germany Anthony Mukwita assured Bombardier that government through the Ministry of Finance is working round the clock to address the matter.
Ambassador Mukwita said Finance Minister Felix Mutati is seeking a diversified financing package for the revival of Zambia Railways that will give confidence to the Zambian economy and investors.
Mr. Mukwita noted that Zambia’s central location in Southern Africa positions the country to tap in the vast business opportunities to pay back monies for the bombardier revitalization.
Bombardier company, whose transportation headquarters is in Germany, has carried out feasibility studies on Zambia Railway’s 900 kilometre network of which half needs to be refurbished.
Once the railway is replaced and wagons are purchased, the company is expected to create 5,000 jobs and up its cargo transportation from the current 700,000 tonnes to about five million tonnes annually and eventually eight million tonnes.
This man, Mukwita, why he doesn’t buy clothes his size?
@Lombe (MA),
Well….Mukwita is a Silozi man who has just taken off his “Musisi”. Certainly that’s a kid’s suit meant to be and is his under garment just like your undershirt depicting everything with detail of your body morphology.
Can you imagine that after 52 years and several millions zambia has only a couple of platforms at the capital city’s main railway station.
What a pathetic country full of criminals and crooks masquerading as lawmakers and politicians!
Ala Lombe wa ndepula. Buchushi bwa Ku bomba Ku Zambia Daily Mail for so many years. Kaili navi onelangi. Kikikiki
All said and done, i hink a Canadian company, especially Bombardier would be a wrong institution to advise Zambia on Railways. Bombardier is best known for aircraft manufacturing. I woulud rather the Zambian government dealt with an Indian company through their Ministry of Railways if we want to see results. India has the biggest and efficient Railway system in the world and they are more experienced. Thanks Anthony Mukwuta for your Diplomatic response to Bombardier.
Bo Mumbeti-Wangoma, Bombardier has a lot of divisions. One of its leading divisions is high speed trains. So you are aware, they built many famous systems such as the Gautrain.
Michael Jackson Generation, one size smaller
Antoney “billie jeans” mwikuta
PF abused $120m from Euro Bond meant for Zambia Railways.
WHERE DID YOU TAKE THE EURO BOND MONEY FOR ZR?
ZR was dead. That concession MMD set up with the RSA company left ZR a shell of itself. That Eurobond is why you see trains every other morning today. It wasn’t even enough to completely revive ZR. Right now ZR needs to refurbish its old rail network, create new ones and replace its wagons. That’s why Bombadier are interested, they have seen a potential market. $120m is a drop in the ocean.
Ati “zambian citizen” using a pseudo name and thinking you are all that patriotic and a defender of kokai lungunomics.
You do not need to burn kilos trying to defend koswes unless you one of them that are now eating kumo nempoto
Bozo the clown
@Bozo: You want to come on this platform with lies, you will be exposed. That’s what’s wrong with politics in Africa today, a new wave of politicians have come on board and think they can come to power using lies and propaganda. It’s not working, try and use the old fashioned method of convincing and inspiring voters.
Ba Zambian Citizen if you now come back to this Post based on the revelation by the current ZR CEO there was absolutely no plan for the 120 million USD received from the Euro Bond so your defence really doesnt hold up. Dont support thing you also do not have full details of
120 million dissappeared in thin air like a furt
Trains move at 10 km/ hour
Are you listening to yourself??? 10km/hr??? Do your research before you post.
Zambian Citizen on which platform does one even do research even na ZR web site was last updated in 2013 potential it personel ama paper yalebola fye
This is better option than the bottomless pit called Zambia airways, because a lot of Zambians would be able to use it .
Where did the Euro Bond that was given to Zambia Railways go? Let us not just pretend, who chewed the money? kikikikiki
Why can’t they get Bombadier to help with our airlineand railway? If this so called Mukwita is chummy chummy with these guys, he can arrange it. We can do it through foreign direct investment.
All though this is a welcome call by Bombardier, one thing you should be aware of is these companies are also about saving jobs for their people back home with such contracts…Bombardier’s aircraft manufacturing wing in Ireland is celebrating when Trump announced he would continue doing business with them
And how many Zambians are trained in this field, 0 this company runs and builds some of the biggest railways in North America, Europe (they built the Chunnel under the sea between france and UK) Chinese railways are built cheap and last maybe 10 yrs and Indian are old tech with old deisel engines . The Canadians move goods on roll on roll off containers train some several km long. high speed double track.
Prof. Chirwa wanted assemble them in Zambia but you threw spanners in the works…do you …do you know that Prof. Chriwa has co-patented that tinted window mechanism in the Dreamliner.
“Mr. Bengtsson expressed concern that despite signing a Memorandum of Understanding in 2016 to revitalize Zambia Railways, the deal has not progressed.
However, Zambia’s Ambassador to Germany Anthony Mukwita assured Bombardier that government through the Ministry of Finance is working round the clock to address the matter.”
Who is this boy Anthony to give such assurances …really laughable…has he seen Ministry of Finance workinh around the clock..the fact of the matter is money that was there in 2016 has all been eaten; Rail procurement is about big multi-million dollar contracts …just tell the man that you have no money stop telling lies and wasting their time you silly little boy trying to look relevant!!
Zambians see problems Canadians see opportunities. You see the difference for yourself.
“Mr. Bengtsson expressed concern that despite signing a Memorandum of Understanding in 2016 to revitalize Zambia Railways, the deal has not progressed.”
This is troubling.
“However, Zambia’s Ambassador to Germany Anthony Mukwita assured Bombardier that government through the Ministry of Finance is working round the clock to address the matter.”
only a white man can tell a black man to work; why can’t we act on our own without being told by a white man?
But why do you exclude yourself from the African?
Ba LT no need to report ati “a company called bombadier” like its a start up. Bombadier is a fortune 500 company.
A well functioning railway can save us on many fronts…less congestion on roads, more goods moved, long road life, reduced traffic accidents and many more benefits. I just don’t understand why we neglected the sector. I remember the early days when we even had railcars which travelled faster than buses. All these just disappeared.
The railways have been in dire need of refurbishment for a long time now. A working government should not have abused and squandered the last Eurobond for which it secured ostensibly for this purpose. Given the track record of this thieving establishment most of the loan money is destined for their pockets. God forbid!
I hope someone at the Zambian mission in Berlin is reading this. Please tell this Ka Anthony Mukwita to put on clothes suitable for an Ambassador. Every time utuma trousers, jackets utter rubbish. Muletusebanya please!
…… Wait a minute isn’t this the chap who got very drunk and smashed a Benz in some flower bed at Ridgeway Hotel ? Atase ! Tell me the book he has written ,.. again ? I cant even read that book looking at the Kaponya
type dressing of the author.