According to the director of engineering of the publicly owned ports and rail company, CFM, Joao Mabota, the line was due to be reopened last week but this was postponed due to work on the bridge taking longer than planned.
Mabota told the daily newspaper “Noticias” that “during the weekend we completed the work and the line will be opened on Tuesday. After this we will continue to rehabilitate the bridge, which can be done whilst the line is operational”.
CFM will have to return material lent to it for the emergency repairs by the South African rail company Transnet within four weeks of the reopening.
Many South African companies have been hit by the rail closure, especially those relying on the line to export their goods through Maputo port. Some switched to trucking their goods by road to Maputo whilst others used the Goba railway line to Maputo, via Swaziland.
Maputo port was financially damaged by the closure of the line, with 70 per cent of its total volume coming from South African iron ore and coal transported over the Ressano Garcia line.
Post published in: Africa News