The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) says that has been a boon to the resident of Cowdray Park settlement in Bulawayo.
The commuter train costs only 50 cents compared to commuter omnibuses which cost $2.00 a single trip. Nyasha Maravanyika, the NRZ’s press relations chief said:
The president and the new government are very supportive of the railways. We had to re-furbish old carriages to get this service going, and it has been a huge success.
The old commuter trains were suspended as the coaches and the signalling became more and more run-down.
People know that when they are on the train, they are on their way to work.
It is an answer to their transport blues. We are here to attract commuters as kombi fares rise — that’s our job.
A commuter who spoke to NewZimbabwe.com over the new train developments said:
The train is 50 cents. My children have to get the kombi to go to school, but this saves me a lot of money to buy vegetables and bread. Zimbabweans are hurting badly, some of us are really starving now.