China advances plan to build $2.5bn Zimbabwe to Mozambique railway

The first phase of the project would consist of a 400km link between Shamva, a town about 100km northeast of Harare, and would head northeast to Moatize in Mozambique. From there, a 900km line is being built to the port of Nacala.

This would take advantage of work already begun on the $5bn Nacala Logistics Corridor, which is being built to transport coal from the Vale company mines to the coast, a project inaugurated in May 2017 by the President of Mozambique (see “further reading” for article on this scheme).

The meeting between China Rail executives and Global Power Bridge International in Harare (GBPI)

The scope of the project would a 1,700km line directly connecting Binga, on Zimbabwean border with Zambia, to Nacala.

China Railways first declared its interest in this project in March this year, in a letter to the Zimbabwean government signed by Gang. This said: “We have been working closely with Global Power Bridge International to establish the foundations of the rail project and we are ready to start it,” said Shao.

Global Power Bridge International is a Zimbabwean infrastructure consultant. China Railways’ Number 4 Group subsidiary is already collaborating with Global Power Bridge on the Harare–Chitungwiza light rail scheme.

China Railways is cooperating with China’s New Century Energy International, which has a $500m soybean operation in Zimbabwe.

Image: GE locomotives en route to Vale’s coal mining operation in Mozambique (Rocket Turbo/Creative Commons)

Further reading

• $5bn rail corridor in Mozambique to “feed Africa”
• Portuguese and Chinese team signs deal to build $1.4bn Mozambique railway
• Mozambique’s debt crisis: at a glance