The delivery of two more locomotives by the Indian state-owned company Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) to Mozambique Ports and Railways (CFM) represents another decisive step in the effort to modernise the national rail system. These units are part of a package of ten diesel-electric locomotives, in a deal valued at 37.68 million dollars.
The handover ceremony took place last Friday in Maputo and was attended by the Minister of Transport and Logistics, João Matlombe, who reiterated the strategic importance of the investment. “These locomotives are (…) proof that we are investing to have a modern, efficient, competitive port and rail system, ready to serve the national economy and the region”, the minister declared.
Matlombe also stressed that Mozambique has geographical advantages that must be harnessed: “Mozambique has an advantage that we cannot waste: the strategic location of our ports and our railway lines. If we know how to make the most of it with consistent investment and efficient management, we will be the natural logistics solution for Southern Africa.”
On the Mozambican public company’s side, the chairman of the CFM Board of Directors, Agostinho Langa, noted that the fleet reinforcement responds to growing demand on the logistics corridors, driven above all by the dynamics of the South African and Zimbabwean markets. “With the opening of the South African system to private rail operators, great pressure is expected, especially in this southern region, with an increase in cargo supply at Komatipoort, which means that CFM must be prepared, with its own means, to cope with this supply”, Langa highlighted.
It should be recalled that, in November 2023, RITES had announced, through the Indian stock exchange, that the contract for the supply of the locomotives had been awarded to it for submitting the most competitive bid among the competitors. However, regarding the supply of 300 wagons, the Indian company was left out, the tender having been won by another supplier, whose name was not disclosed.
The Mozambican Government’s commitment to the rail sector is part of a broader plan to upgrade national logistics, underpinned by optimistic forecasts: according to data gathered by Lusa in May, growth of 26.6% in rail traffic is expected in 2025.
