Malawian president commends Chinese company for railway project construction

BLANTYRE, Malawi, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said Wednesday that the reconstruction of the Marka railway station by Chinese contractor China Railway 20th Bureau Group (CR20) aligns with his commitment to restore railway transport in Malawi by 2025.

Chakwera made the statement while receiving the inaugural train carrying 1.2 million liters of fuel from Beira Port in Mozambique to Marka in Nsanje, Malawi's southern border district, marking the first use of this route in 41 years. The railway had been inactive since 1983 due to vandalism during Mozambique's civil war and flooding on the Malawian side in 1997.

Mozambique has already rebuilt its portion of the railway, while Malawi is working with CR20 to reconstruct and upgrade the 72-km stretch from Marka to Bangula in Nsanje.

Chakwera expressed satisfaction with the resumption of fuel transport via the Beira-Marka route, also known as the Sena Corridor, and praised Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi for his collaboration in the project.

The National Oil Company of Malawi Chief Executive Officer Clement Kanyama echoed Chakwera's sentiments, celebrating the reopening of rail transport after four decades. He noted that the railway would significantly reduce the landing costs of petroleum products and boost capacity, with the potential to transport 10 million liters of fuel monthly.

"Fewer costs will go towards transportation. We will also have a turnaround in terms of the number of days to bring the product in the country. For example, the 1.2 million litres that has arrived today would take 35 trucks to transport - that's an advantage," said Kanyama.

CR20 Project Manager for the Marka-Bangula railway project Guo Zhinan said the railway project officially started in January 2023 and is expected to be completed by October 2025.

"We hope to complete the project in time, despite challenges including cyclones that have affected progress of the project, but the Malawi government has been giving us a lot of support," said Guo.

The CR20 has made strides in the railway project, including erecting a 200-meter bridge, the longest on the railway, he said, adding that the bridge is among 20 new bridges being constructed along the 72 km-long railroad, which will feature 40 tunnels, 121 new culverts, and four stations.

The project will enhance the exchange of passengers and goods between Zambia and Mozambique's port of Beira, establishing a crucial maritime link for southern African countries.