Struggling parastatal the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) is reported to be failing to use the railway equipment it received under the US$400 million Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group (DIDG) deal. The equipment is incompatible with the Zimbabwe rail system.
NRZ general manager Lewis Mukwada said,
Out of the consignment of 10 locomotives we received, there are some that are in use. We have deployed four of those on the Harare-Bulawayo section. The challenge is that some of them are heavy and they can’t move on some of our sections.
Other sources who spoke to The Zimbabwe Independent said,
The wagons and coaches, some of which were delivered in February, have not been used on any day. The challenge is that their thickness and weight is not compatible with the railway line used in Zimbabwe…South Africa and other countries in the region have upgraded their systems from the 45kgs on a metre specification for their rail equipment to about 54kgs per metre in terms of the weight on their railway… Our railway lines are not made to that specification.
Transport and Infrastructural Development minister Jorum Gumbo denied that there was any incompatibility.
More: The Zimbabwe Independent