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Botswana Railways (BR) is the national railway of Botswana.
Botswana Railways (BR) was established in 1987 when the government of Botswana bought out the Botswana-based sections of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ). [1] NRZ had been initially operating the rail system after Botswana had gained independence. Management of the BR is supported by RITES Ltd. of India.[ citation needed ]
The opening of the Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway in Zimbabwe in 1999 resulted in a major drop in the volume of freight transit and income. As a response the BR has been considering the construction of a direct line to Zambia (Zambia Railways), bypassing Zimbabwe, to regain income from transit.[ citation needed ]
On 27 February 2009, an announcement was made of the termination of all Botswana Railways passenger services. [2] However, passenger trains run by National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) continue to run from Bulawayo to Lobatse via Plumtree, Francistown and Gaborone. [3]
As of October 2010, BR was building a large shopping mall near Gaborone station, and expressed hopes that passenger services might resume, although BR could not give any concrete details. [4]
In December 2014 Botswana Railways announced that they will purchase new passenger cars and locomotives and that passenger services would resume in late 2015. [5] A passenger service between Gaborone and Lobatse, marketed under the name BR Express, eventually began operation in March 2016. [6]
The Botswana Railways system consists of 888 kilometres (552 mi) of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Cape gauge track. The main line runs through the south-eastern region of Botswana from Mahikeng in South Africa through Lobatse, Gaborone, Mahalapye, Palapye and Francistown to Plumtree in Zimbabwe. In addition there are three branch lines: from Palapye to Morupule Colliery, from Serule to Selebi-Phikwe, and from Francistown to Sowa.[ citation needed ]
As of December 2017 [update]
In December 2014 Botswana Railways announced that they would purchase three generator vans, five first class sleepers, 18 economy class coaches, five business class coaches, three buffet cars and a luggage van. [5]
Botswana Railways run 2 nightly passenger trains, one from Lobatse to Francistown, and the other from Francistown to Lobatse, with stops in Gaborone, Mahalapye, Palapye, and Serule.[ citation needed ] The passenger train is termed the "BR Express".[ citation needed ]
BR Express operates a commuter train system between Lobatse and Gaborone. The train departs from Lobatse at 05:30 and arrives at Gaborone in 06:49. The train returns to Lobatse in the evening, departing from Gaborone at 18:00 and arriving at Lobatse at 19:34.[ citation needed ]
The train stops at Otse, Ramotswa and Commerce Park Halt.[ citation needed ]
Botswana Railways are connected to Zimbabwe and South African lines, both using the same gauge.[ citation needed ]
There is no direct connection with Namibia, but one does exist via South Africa, although an electrified railway connecting to Lüderitz in Namibia for coal traffic was scheduled to open in 2006.[ citation needed ]
In August 2010, Mozambique and Botswana signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an 1100 km railway through Zimbabwe, to carry coal from Serule in Botswana to a deep-water port at Techobanine Point in Mozambique. [7]
A new rail link between Botswana and Zambia, bypassing Zimbabwe, was mooted in 2005 by Botswana Railways (BR) general manager Andrew Lunga. The line was envisaged as running south-westwards from Livingstone, crossing the Zambezi, then continuing to a junction with the existing BR tracks at Mosetse. Lunga's proposal arose following the serious loss of traffic suffered by BR following the opening of the Beitbridge-Bulawayo line, after which annual BR freight tonnage fell from 1.1m per annum to about 150,000. Zimbabwe's economic problems had worsened the situation, prejudicing free traffic flow. The suggested line, Lunga pointed out, would provide important alternative routes linking South Africa, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. [8]
Transportation in Botswana is provided by an extensive network of railways, highways, ferry services and air routes that criss-cross the country. The transport sector in Botswana played an important role in economic growth following its independence in 1966. The country discovered natural resources which allowed it to finance the development of infrastructure, and policy ensured that the transport sector grew at an affordable pace commensurate with demands for services.
Gaborone is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its agglomeration is home to 534,842 inhabitants at the 2022 census.
Palapye is a growing town in Botswana, situated about halfway between Francistown and Gaborone. Over the years its position has made it a convenient stopover on one of Southern Africa's principal north–south rail and road routes.
Francistown is the second-largest city in Botswana, with a population of about 103,417 and 147,122 inhabitants for its agglomeration at the 2022 census. It is located in eastern Botswana, about 400 kilometres (250 mi) north-northeast from the capital, Gaborone. Francistown is located at the confluence of the Tati and Ntshe rivers, and near the Shashe River and 90 kilometres (56 mi) from the international border with Zimbabwe.
The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), formerly Rhodesia Railways (RR), is a Bulawayo headquartered state-owned enterprise that operates the country's national railway system. It was established in 1893 and is governed by an Act of Parliament. It has a commercial-administrative center in Harare and a supply center in Gweru. The Zimbabwean railway system was largely constructed during the 20th century.
Morupule Thermal Power Station is a coal-fired power station in Botswana. It is responsible for an estimated 80 percent of the country's domestic power generation.
The Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway (BBR) is a privately owned railway company that provides a rail link in Zimbabwe between Beitbridge at the South African border and Zimbabwe's second city Bulawayo.
Ramokgwebana is a village in the North-East District of Botswana, close to the eastern border, which is defined by the Ramokgwebana River. Plumtree, Zimbabwe is on the other side of the border crossing.
Rail services in Botswana are provided by Botswana Railways. Most routes in the country radiate from Gaborone. The railway network consists of 888 km of track; its gauge is 1,067 mm cape gauge.
Serule is a village in Central District of Botswana. Serule, with a latitude of -21.95 and a longitude of 27.3, is a streets, highways, roads, or railroad. The village is located along the road between Francistown and Palapye, and is an important railroad junction with rails leading towards north to Francistown, south to Palapye and east to the mining town of Selebi-Phikwe, 72 km from Palapye north up the A1 road, 88 km from Francistown down south the A1 road and 60 km west of Selibe Phikwe to the T-junction. The location is situated 340 kilometres east (90°) of the approximate centre of Botswana and 332 kilometres north east (26°) of the capital Gaborone.
List of Railway stations in Botswana include:
Yarona FM is an urban broadcaster targeting young adults. The radio station is a private commercial entity that has existed since 1999. It is regulated by BOCRA and attracts a unique weekly audience of 250,000.
The A1 highway in Botswana is a road that runs from the Zimbabwean border near Ramokgwebana through Francistown, Mahalapye, Palapye, Gaborone and Lobatse, to Ramatlabama at the border with South Africa. Crossing the Ramokgwebana River into Zimbabwe, it continues as the A7 to Bulawayo. On the South African end it continues as the N18 to Mahikeng.
Bechuanaland National Airways was the national airline of the Bechuanaland Protectorate and was based in Francistown.
The Cairo–Cape Town Highway is Trans-African Highway 4 in the transcontinental road network being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the African Union. The route has a length of 10,228 km (6,355 mi) and links Cairo in Egypt to Cape Town in South Africa.
The South African Railways Class 34-600 of 1974 is a diesel-electric locomotive.
The South African Railways Class 34-800 of 1978 is a diesel-electric locomotive.
The South African Railways Class 35-000 of 1972 is a diesel-electric locomotive.
The Rhodesia Railways 15th class, was the second-largest class of Garratt locomotives, with 74 locomotives built. Only the Class GMA/GMAM of the South African Railways was more numerous at 120 locomotives.
The Ponta Techobanine Railway is a proposed railway corridor aimed at enhancing connectivity between Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, and is part of a wider scheme to create a large deep water port in Techobanine. The railway corridor would serve as a strategic transport route for facilitating trade, resource transportation, and passenger travel across Southern Africa. While no continuous railway line currently links these countries directly, the concept of the Ponta Techobanine Railway focuses on leveraging existing infrastructure, expanding and upgrading key lines, and introducing new connections to enhance regional trade and economic integration.
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