Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) Northern Region Manager, Obed Galatia has described transporting of over one million tonnes of cargo in the year 2020 midst Covid19 challenges as a huge milestone.
Mr Galatia has commended the company’s employees for their effort to actualise the milestone.
Speaking during the launch of golf t-shirts for employees to celebrate the 2020 freight performance at ZRL offices in Kitwe, Mr Galatia said despite the railway company facing numerous challenges ranging from inadequate rolling stock and a rundown railway line, workers are still managing to work hard and achieved 1, 020, 115 tonnes of freight.
“The last achieved a performance of above one million tonnes in 2006, 14 years ago,” Mr Galatia said.
I want to encourage the workers not to relax but continue putting in their best to maintain the same achievement or even surpass it,” he said.
He said operating at optimal capacity, the railway company, has the potential to haul at least five million tonnes of freight per annum.
However, he stressed that the poor state of the railway track, coupled with inadequate rolling stock has contributed to the company operating way below its capacity.
He said at the moment, goods trains move at a speed of 25 kilometers per hour instead of the expected 80 kilometers per hour.
Mr Galatia said plans are underway to present a proposal to Government for purposes of finding resources to rehabilitate the railway track.
He said the cost needed to repair the engine track from Livingstone to Chililabombwe will only be known once the proposal is completed.
All under the able Ieadership of his exceIIency ECL
Mwamblooka
LIES LIES CHECK WITH STAFF AND HEAR THE TRUTH
B U L L S H ! T
This is what happens when you have a mediocre leader at the top as this mediocrity trickles downwards…during a pandemic like covid-19 for a landlocked country like Zambia freight should double as raw materials and health drugs are in demand like sanitiser, oxygen, uniforms for health workers. You simply have to look at the trends in RSA where rail data was reported an increase from 15,795.00 in June 2020 to 17,772.00 in September 2020 the highest in history and you have this man celebrating with buying of Golf shirts for themselves the Directors.
“Speaking during the launch of golf t-shirts for employees to celebrate the 2020 freight performance at ZRL offices in Kitwe, Mr Galatia said despite the railway company facing numerous challenges ranging from inadequate rolling stock and a rundown railway line, workers are still managing to work hard and achieved 1, 020, 115 tonnes of freight.”
And here is an example why govt companies never perform in the long term …one good year and they start buying Golf shirts and have parties…meanwhile retirees have not been paid, the line is in poor condition…this type of behaviour is common at ZESCO and ZAMTEL.
How can you have trains that move slower than bicycles …….????
Half of that time and money spent on those over Kill airports, the one in Lusaka built to cater for 70 large planes per day……, should have been spent on on second parallel rail line…….
What happened to the eurobond loan which zambia railways got . Has it been paid back?
25 km per hour ?
last achieved in 2006 ?
Ati 25km/h no wonder you do not have customers……..coz most of the business people and companies want their cargo to move fast and then you move like a snail in this time of new technologies…
That’s why we need BALLY to come in and sort all these problems once and for all….coz as UPND we are going to establish the RDA (RAIL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY) to foresee the proper running of Zambia RAIL way so that we can reduce the overwhelming load from OUR roads and reduce road damages..
As UPND,ZAMBIA RAILWAY WILL Employ over 10thousand employees and will be transporting over 20 million tonnes of cargo per year meaning that our roads with be only carrying light goods which needs quick delivery.
VOTE FOR BALLY…VOTE FOR UPND…VOTE FOR REAL CHANGE
VOTE WISELY
HH IS THE ONLY HELPER
LET…
The move at 20km/hr because any faster they locomotive will derail as the rail lines are substandard my friends electric bike can do 34km/hr flat out …Prof. Chriwa wanted to do everything done in-house manufacturing rail sleepers, iron fittings in Zambia but they threw spanners in the works so the could continue stealing. They put in $120m gave themselves contracts for cosmetic works.