Malawi Railways, the national rail network in the country of Malawi, was run by a government corporation of that name until privatisation in 1999. With effect from 1 December 1999 the Central East African Railways consortium led by Railroad Development Corporation won the right to operate the Malawi Railways network. This was the first rail privatisation in Africa which did not involve a parastatal operator.[1]
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The 797 km 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) (Cape) gauge line extends from the Zambian border at Mchinji in the west via Lilongwe to Blantyre and Makhanga in the south. At Nkaya Junction it links with the Nacala Corridor line going east via Nayuchi to Mozambique's deepwater port at Nacala on the Indian Ocean. The link south from Makhanga to Mozambique's Beira corridor has been closed since the Mozambique Civil War, with plans for reconstruction not yet realised.
An extension from Mchinji to Chipata in Zambia opened in 2010,[2] and there is a proposal to eventually link up from there with the TAZARA railway at Mpika.[3]
Freight traffic is predominantly exports through Nacala, including sugar, tobacco, pigeon peas and tea. Import traffic consists of fertiliser, fuel, containerised consumer goods and food products including vegetable oil and grain. A government subsidised passenger rail service operates thrice weekly in both directions from Blantyre to Makhanga and to the border with Mozambique at Nayuchi.[1]
The Rivirivi Bridge was damaged by Cyclone Delfina in January 2003 and reopened in 2005.[4]
Nacala Port and Railway was concessioned to the same CEAR consortium in January 2005.[5]
In July 2006, the Republic of China (Taiwan) sent 4 R20 series (EMD G12) diesel electric locomotives R56, R57, R58 and R59 to Malawi Railways. 2 of them are used for shunt and 2 have never been used.
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