Africa and the Middle East by Michael Frewston

Author:Michael Frewston [Frewston, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Frewston Books Online
Published: 2012-02-06T05:00:00+00:00

MOZAMBIQUE:

Although Mozambique was under Portuguese rule until the civil war in 1975, its railways adhered to the standards set by the British in all the neighbouring countries in Southern Africa – including the use of 1067 mm Cape-gauge.

The first railways in this country were planned in the 1870s, and the first line was opened in 1890. Ultimately, three quite separate lines were completed, but all to Cape-gauge – a situation that still exists. There was also a 762 mm gauge line of some 140 km known as the Gaza Railway.

While a lot of the rail lines fell into disuse, or were badly damaged in the civil strife of the 1970s, much has been rehabilitated since then. There are also plans to add new links and new connections with adjacent countries.

Today Mozambique’s 3000 km of railways are a crucial link between landlocked countries, such as Botswana, which have large deposits of minerals, and the ports on the eastern coast, such as Beira and Maputo (once called Lourenço Marques), from which these minerals are shipped around the world. A new line, some 1100 km long, is planned to ship coal from Botswana, through Zimbabwe, to Techobanine Point in Mozambique – all technically feasible as all countries share the same 1067 mm gauge.

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