Mozambique’s CFM carries 5.6 million rail passengers in 2025 as freight volumes rise 8%

According to the company’s 2025 annual report and accounts, seen by Lusa on Monday, CFM carried 5,598,812 passengers, compared with 6,623,865 in the previous year. The company attributed the decline to the suspension of passenger train services caused by flooding along the southern and central rail corridors. Despite the fall in passenger traffic, rail freight operations continued on a growth trajectory.

Across the overall railway system, 29.61 million tonnes of freight were transported, an increase of 8% compared with 2024, although this remained below the targets initially set by the company. On the railway lines directly operated by CFM, freight volumes reached 14.32 million tonnes, representing an annual increase of 11%. The state-owned company continues to operate directly the Ressano Garcia, Limpopo and Goba railway lines in southern Mozambique, as well as the Beira railway system, which includes the Sena and Machipanda lines and the Marromeu branch line.

CFM also operates railway workshops in the southern and central regions, in addition to several port terminals and infrastructure not concessioned to the private sector. Across its overall port operations, terminals linked to the CFM system handled 68.87 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2025, 4% more than in the previous year. The report states that operations faced difficulties caused by post-election unrest, foreign currency shortages and 104 railway derailments recorded during the year.

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During the year, 88 employees retired, while 1,548 staff members received training. CFM is a state-owned company wholly owned by the Mozambican government and is responsible for managing a significant share of the country’s railway and port infrastructure. The company operates under a model combining direct management with concessions granted to private operators across several rail-port systems, including the Maputo, Beira and Nacala corridors, while also holding stakes in various companies linked to logistics and port operations.

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