Botswana pushes for completion of Trans-Kalahari railway

Botswana’s transport minister Eric Molale has stressed the need for the completion of the Trans-Kalahari railway that will link that country’s rail network to Namibia via the port of Walvis Bay.“Mines that are starting, especially the Kalahari copper, will need this railway line, because as it is now, they have started evacuating their copper and it is taking its toll on our road, and therefore, it is all the more important that this project takes off," Molale said during a visit to Namibia last week.Molale informed Namibia’s transport minister, John Mutorwa, during a meeting on Thursday that Botswana has been inundated with construction activities due to road refurbishments needed to address the toll of heavy traffic."We started refurbishing a lot of roads in the country – it's like Botswana is a construction site. We are doing that because most of our roads, east-west, north-south, have been damaged by cargo trucks,” Molale said.“That has taken a heavy burden on us to maintain roads before the estimated time for the maintenance, so the rail will be necessary,” he added.After a lengthy delay, the two countries have decided to go ahead with constructing the around 1 500 km Trans-Kalahari railway, which will extend from western Botswana to the Namibian border through to the port of Walvis Bay, the government daily New Era previously reported.Widespread interest At least 12 international companies, including three representing Namibia and Botswana, have expressed interest in participating in the project, which is expected to kick off in 2025.Calls for expressions of interest from investors were issued last year with and closed in November.The Trans-Kalahari railway is anticipated to boost both trade and tourism.Goods to be transported will mainly include coal and copper from Botswana to the Namibian port of Walvis Bay for export, as well as imported freight destined for Botswana, South Africa and nearby landlocked countries.An agreement for the railway line was signed in 2010, and a pre-feasibility study was concluded in 2011. A bilateral agreement was signed in 2014, while a development study was completed in 2016.

Botswana pushes for completion of Trans-Kalahari railway

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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Botswana pushes for completion of Trans-Kalahari railway

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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