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Botswana: No Additional Trips for F/Town-Bulawayo Train
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
15 April 2008
Posted to the web 15 April 2008
Fraser Mpofu
The train runs three trips a week. Botswana Railways (BR) and the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) recently held discussions on the possibility of a daily train service.
NRZ spokesman, Fanuel Masikati said that though they decided to maintain the status quo, there is a possibility of changes in future.
"We discussed the possibility of upgrading the service into a daily one after we got a request from our counterparts. But we agreed that we remain with the old arrangement.
"Of course the situation can change in future but now the service is for three days."
BR and NRZ, which have a long-standing working relationship that goes back more than 30 years, re-introduced the commercial passenger train service between Bulawayo and Francistown in June 2006.
Over the past two years, its popularity has soared as more people; especially hordes of informal cross-border Zimbabwean traders take advantage of the train's convenience and lower fares.Masikati said:"The response has been overwhelming as people are finding the train service to be more convenient. Some of the advantages include the fact that it offers on-board entertainment and catering facilities.
Our coaches are very comfortable and customs and immigration formalities are conducted on board. The other advantage is that our fares are quite affordable relative to what passengers pay when they travel by road, for example."
During the recent 10th session of the Zimbabwe-Botswana joint permanent commission held in Gaborone, both countries noted with satisfaction, the critical role that the train service was having in terms of meeting the transport needs of their people.
Discussions were also held with a view to increasing the frequency of the train service, but it was finally agreed that the itinerary remained as it is.
The re-introduction of the service on June 9, 2006 came after viability constraints had forced its suspension on January 1, 2000.
Presently, the train service leaves Bulawayo for Francistown on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9am, arriving in Francistown at about 1455pm.
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It departs Francistown at 9am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, arriving in Bulawayo at 1455pm.The train consists of eight standard class coaches.
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