Maputo, Mozambique, 17 Jan – Reconstruction work on the Beira-Machipanda railway began a few days ago in the most critical parts of the route where equipment is obsolete and derailments have occurred, the director for Transport and Communication of Mozambique’s Sofala province said.

Speaking to Mozambican daily newspaper Notícias, Carlos Isidoro said that the work would be concluded within eight months although he gave no figure for the cost of the work.

Reconstruction of the cargo and passenger transport system on the Beira-Machipanda railway line, linking the provinces of Sofala and Manica to neighbouring Zimbabwe, via the Machipanda border post, will once again allow people and goods to travel, particularly rural workers along the Beira corridor.

Work on the line, covering 317 kilometres, was due to be finished in December 2006, but concession holder Ricon, a partnership between Indian state companies Rites and Ircon, was unable to honour its commitments and created losses for the Mozambican state estimated at US$230 million.

This section of railway is of particular importance to Mozambique as it is expected to offer greater dynamism to the strategy of linking different development hubs in the country and neighbouring regions, and improve efficiency in transporting passengers and cargo between points along the railway. (macauhub)