State-owned Mozambique Ports and Railways (CFM – Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique) has transported more than 1,700 passengers since Tuesday between the district of Magude, in the south of the country, and the capital, Maputo, due to the closure of the main road affected by the rains. “Just today (Wednesday), 1,050 people departed from Magude heading to Maputo. The train leaving Maputo for Magude initially had 350 passengers, but by the time it arrived, that number had increased to 659,” Arnaldo Manjate, director of railway operations for CFM in the south, told Lusa.
Faced with the emergency caused by the floods in Mozambique, and the closure of National Road 1 (N1), the state railway began on Tuesday transporting people and goods between Maputo and Magude, on the northern bank of Maputo province. A second train, with a capacity of 1,500 passengers, was scheduled to leave Maputo central station for Magude district on Thursday at 08:00, expected to arrive at 13:00. For the same destination, the company also plans another freight train with a capacity of 15 wagons, scheduled to depart at 10:00 on Friday.
The director of railway operations for CFM-South stated that 12 trucks loaded with various products for transport on this freight train are already available, with more expected to arrive. “These trains are specifically to respond to the emergency situation and meet the needs. This is an alternative, given that the N1 is closed due to the floods, and aims to reduce their negative impacts,” explained Arnaldo Manjate.
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CFM resumed passenger transport in the south of the country on Monday, 12 days after the suspension caused by the floods. In a statement, CFM announced that passenger transport had resumed on the Goba line, as well as on the Matola-Gare, Manhiça, and Marracuene routes, which are part of the Ressano Garcia and Limpopo lines respectively, all located in southern Mozambique. READ:Zimbabwe-Mozambique rail traffic suspended after derailment in Odzi, Manicaland Mozambican President Daniel Chapo assured on Tuesday that traffic on National Road 1 (N1), the country’s main route, would be restored within a maximum of two weeks.
Also on Tuesday, 27 January, Mozambique assessed the infrastructure destroyed and affected by the floods at US$644 million, with the Government presenting a reconstruction plan. The number of deaths caused by the floods in recent weeks in Mozambique rose yesterday to 15, with 700,000 affected, according to provisional data from the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD).
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