Another step forward for Swazi-SA rail line

Swaziland Railway is

awaiting a directive from

government to proceed

with the construction phase

of a new rail line linking

Swaziland to South Africa in

the West.

This after a feasibility

report was submitted to

cabinet at the close of last year.

The western line under

development in partnership

with Transnet Freight Rail

(TFR) will allow for rail

cargo transport directly from

Gauteng to Maputo in the east

and Richards Bay in the south

via Swaziland.

“We submitted the report

in December 2015. Now

we are waiting for the way

forward from our owners.

The feasibility report was

completed around the second

half of 2015,” said Vusi

Makhubu, chief finance officer

for Swaziland Railway.

Transnet’s portion of the

new rail line from Lothair in

Mpumalanga to the Swazi

border is about 54 kilometres

and the Swaziland portion

from the border to Sidvokodvo

in Manzini district is about

94 kilometres. The new line

is scheduled for completion in

2021.