Maputo — The railway from the northern Mozambican port of Nacala to landlocked Malawi has reopened after a serious derailment closed it to traffic for three weeks.

A press release issued by the Mozambican ports and rail company, CFM, announced that work on repairing the line was concluded on Monday, and it was declared open to traffic again at about 17.00.

However the derailed locomotives are still lying by the side of the tracks. Operations to remove them will be resumed immediately, the CFM release said.

The derailment, involving a goods train with two locomotives, occurred at Mutivaze, about 30 kilometres west of Nampula city, during torrential rains brought by tropical depression "Delfina" on 5 January.

Heavy rains are continuing to fall in Nampula province, and CFM says that its crews will drive their trains carefully to avoid any further interruptions to traffic. The company promises to keep its clients informed on a daily basis.

The most serious impact of the line closure was to emergency operations in Malawi. Food aid for Malawians at risk of famine could not be transported along the railway, and so shiploads of grain had to be diverted away from Nacala to Dar es Salaam.