Rail transport in Botswana
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Rail services in Botswana are provided by
Botswana is an associate member of the
History
The first section of railway track in Botswana was laid in 1896.
The current owner,
The opening of the Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway in Zimbabwe in 1999 resulted in a major drop in the volume of freight transit and income. As a response the BR has been considering the construction of a direct line to Zambia (Zambia Railways), bypassing Zimbabwe, to regain income from transit.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/RhodesiaRailcar.jpg/220px-RhodesiaRailcar.jpg)
Freight trains
![BR Freight Train](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/Botswana_Railways_24.jpg/220px-Botswana_Railways_24.jpg)
Over half of BR's freight traffic is in coal, grain and
Passenger trains
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/BR_Express_Interior_1.jpg/220px-BR_Express_Interior_1.jpg)
The train was the primary mode of long-distance transport in Botswana until 2009. It also custom-built many of its
Sleeping and Dining Department
![BR Express Dining Department](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/BR_Express_Dining_Department.jpg/220px-BR_Express_Dining_Department.jpg)
Sleeping cars were operated by BR itself. The BR decided from the very beginning that it would operate its own sleeping cars. Bigger-sized berths and more comfortable surroundings were built. Providing and operating their own cars allowed better control of the service provided as well as keeping all of the revenue received, although profit was never a direct result of providing food to passengers. Rather, it was the realisation that those who could afford to travel great distances expected such facilities and their favourable opinion would bode well to attracting others to Botswana and the BR's trains.[citation needed]
Locomotives
Diesel locomotives
As of March 2009
- 8 General Electric UM 22C diesel-electric locomotives, 1982
- 20 General Motors Model GT22LC-2 diesel electric locomotives, 1986
- 10 General Electric U15C diesel electric locomotives, 1990
Rail links to adjacent countries
- Zimbabwe- Same gauge
- South Africa - Same gauge
There is no direct connection with Namibia, but one does exist via South Africa, although an electrified railway connecting to Lüderitz, Namibia for coal traffic is/was scheduled to open in 2006.
In August 2010, Mozambique and Botswana signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an 1100 km railway through Zimbabwe, to carry coal from Serule in Botswana to a deep-water port at Techobanine Point in Mozambique.[5]
A new rail link between Botswana and Zambia, bypassing Zimbabwe was mooted in 2005 by Botswana Railways (BR) general manager Andrew Lunga. The line was envisaged as running south-westwards from Livingstone, crossing the Zambesi, then continuing to a junction with the existing BR tracks at Mosetse. Lunga's proposal arose following the serious loss of traffic suffered by BR following the opening of the Beitbridge-Bulawayo line, after which annual BR freight tonnage fell from 1.1m per annum to about 150,000. Zimbabwe's economic problems had worsened the situation, prejudicing free traffic flow. The suggested line, Lunga pointed out, would provide important alternative routes linking South Africa, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.[6]
Rail systems in nearby countries
The following countries mostly use 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge and are mostly connected together. Countries beyond those listed are of other gauges.[citation needed]
- Angola
- Republic of the Congo– isolated
- Democratic Republic of the Congo – half isolated
- Eswatini
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mozambique, under repair
- Namibia
- South Africa
- Tanzania same gauge as far as Dar es Salaam –
transshipment to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge at Kidatu - Zambia
- Zimbabwe
See also
References
- ^ Zambesi Eco Tours. "To the Victoria Falls - Bulawayo or Bust". Citing: Roberts, Peter (2021). To The Banks of the Zambezi and Beyond: Railway Construction from the Cape to the Congo (1893-1910). Zambezi Book Company Publications.
- ^ J Lunn, (1992). The Political Economy of Primary Railway Construction in the Rhodesias, 1890-1911, pp. 239, 244.
- ^ S Katzenellenbogen, (1974). Zambia and Rhodesia: Prisoners of the Past: A Note on the History of Railway Politics in Central Africa, pp. 63-4.
- ^ "Passenger train is coming back". 9 Dec 2014.
- ^ UK, DVV Media. "Pointers September 2010". Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ^ "Railways Africa".
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)