Rail transport in Namibia

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Railway network of Namibia Namibia rail network map.svg
Railway network of Namibia
Luxury passenger train at Simplon (Between Sandverhaar and Goageb) in 2015 Passenger train Simplon.jpg
Luxury passenger train at Simplon (Between Sandverhaar and Goageb) in 2015

The rail service in Namibia is provided by TransNamib. The Namibian rail network consists of 2,687 km of tracks (2017).

Contents

Namibia has a history of more than 100 years of railway service. During the colonialisation by the German Empire between 1894 and 1915, a number of railways were built, of which some are still in service today. [2]

History

A TransNamib locomotives SAR Class 33-400 in Keetmanshoop. SAR Class 33 Namibia.jpg
A TransNamib locomotives SAR Class 33-400 in Keetmanshoop.

Early development

The building of German South West Africa 's railways began with a small mining rail line at Cape Cross in 1895. The first major railway project was started in 1897 when the German Colonial Authority built the "Staatsbahn" (state railway) from Swakopmund to Windhoek. By 1902 the line was completed. Parallel to this government initiative the Otavi Mining and Railway Company (O.M.E.G.) was established which built a line from Swakopmund to Tsumeb via Otavi between 1903 and 1906, and a branch from Otavi to Grootfontein in 1907/08. [3]

In 1914 the following railway lines existed:

The German colonial railway was taken over by the Railways of South Africa after World War I, and linked into the network of South Africa. After the independence of Namibia, TransNamib took control of the national rail network that operates on 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm).

African Rail Conference

Plans to integrate the railways of Africa to facilitate trade were discussed at the Africa Rail conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in August 2002. The move forms part of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), a programme aimed at economic renaissance.

The railways were built by former colonial powers, but were not built to advance African interests. Plans were put into place to link the three parallel east-west lines in Angola and to connect the Angolan network to that of Namibia and hence to South Africa.

The strategic positioning of Maputo rail and port infrastructure indicated that the network should be promoted as the primary corridor serving Zimbabwe, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, and South Africa's Mpumalanga province.

South Africa's transport minister, Abdulah Omar, said Africa needed to integrate its railway systems to form an internationally-competitive network. Experts said this could involve leasing locomotives and wagons, becoming involved as concessionaires and consultants, and participating in joint ventures. [5]

Current Railway Lines

TransNamib
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Oshikango
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Ondangwa
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Omuthiya
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Oshivelo
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Tsumeb
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Grootfontein
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Otavi
Outjo
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Otjiwarongo
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Omaruru
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Usakos
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Karibib
Swakopmund
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Okahandja
Walvis Bay
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Windhoek
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Rehoboth
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Witvlei
Mariental
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Gobabis
Keetmanshoop
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Aus
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Karasburg
Lüderitz
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Nakop
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Namibia's national rail network operates on 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm).

Windhoek-Kranzberg

The railway line from Windhoek to Kranzberg is 210 kilometres (130 mi) long and was completed in 1902. [2]

Kranzberg-Walvis Bay

The railway line from Kranzberg to Walvis Bay is 201 kilometres (125 mi) long. The section between Kranzberg and Swakopmund was completed in 1902. In 1914 an extension to Walvis Bay was commissioned; the rails were laid close to the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. In 1980 this extension was replaced by an alternative route behind the dunes that allowed for higher axle load. [2]

Kranzberg-Otavi

The railway line from Kranzberg to Otavi is 328 kilometres (204 mi) long and was completed in 1906. [2]

Otavi-Grootfontein

The railway line from Otavi to Grootfontein is 91 kilometres (57 mi) long and was completed in 1908. [2]

Seeheim-Aus

The railway line from Seeheim to Lüderitz is 318 kilometres (198 mi) long. The connection between Lüderitz and Aus was completed in 1906, and the extension to Seeheim was completed in 1908. [2] The service between Aus and Lüderitz was decommissioned in 1997, due to poor track condition, and there is no regular passenger service between Seeheim and Aus.

The line to Lüderitz was rehabilitated in the 2010s and was scheduled for reopening in 2017. Test trains ran to Lüderitz in 2014 and Lüderitz Harbour in 2018. [6] Currently (2023) the line is open and primarily used to carry mineral ore from South African mines to Luderitz from where it is shipped to foreign markets.

Nakop-Windhoek

The railway line from Nakop to Windhoek is 869 kilometres (540 mi) long. The section between Karasburg and Keetmanshoop was completed in 1909. In 1912 the 500 kilometres (310 mi) connection between Karasburg and Windhoek was completed, and the extension to Upington (South Africa) was built in 1915. [2]

Otjiwarongo-Outjo

The railway line from Otjiwarongo to Outjo is 69 kilometres (43 mi) long. The first 26 kilometres (16 mi) were completed under the German colonial administration in 1914/1915; the railway line was named Amboland Railway in reference to the territory of the Ovambo people. The link to Outjo was completed in 1921 under South African rule. [2]

Windhoek-Gobabis

The railway line from Windhoek to Gobabis is 228 kilometres (142 mi) long and was completed in 1930. [2]

Otavi-Oshikango

In 2005, an 89 km section of new Northern Railway from Tsumeb to Oshivelo was opened by President Sam Nujoma, as part of the "Northern Extension" of the railway link from Kranzberg to Otavi. Construction on the project's second phase, a 59 km stretch from Ondangwa to Oshikango on the Angolan border at a cost of about N$329m, was scheduled to be completed by December 2007. Ondangwa Station opened in 2006 for freight.

In phase 3, a 58 km branch from Ondangwa to Oshakati was constructed at an estimated cost of N$220m, for completion in December 2008. For the future a connection from Oshikango to a point near Cassinga is planned on Angola's southern railway system. [7] [8]

The Ondangwa-Oshikango line was officially opened by President Hifikepunye Pohamba in July 2012. In order to keep system operational and safe, provincial governor Usko Nghaamwa implored local residents to stop stealing railroad ties and sections of the wire fence. [9]

Historic Railway Lines

Apart from a number of short rail connections built by mining companies, the following railway links are decommissioned:

Proposed Railway Lines

Trans-Kalahari Coal Line

Along the Caprivi Strip, which was acquired by Germany in 1890 (the colonial power of Namibia at the time) for the very reason of building a railway to the Zambia border and the Zambezi River. However the river is not navigable from the Indian Ocean to this place, which caused the railway not to be built.

Recommissioning of the Aus-Lüderitz Line

The railway to Lüderitz is now complete and is now being evaluated for freight traffic use. The first test train to Luderitz Via Aus arrived on October 10, 2018. [16] According to the Karas Region Chancellor Jan Scholtz, Passenger service to Luderitz will commence once it is determined that there is sufficient demand for it, but for the time being it is not being considered. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

This article deals with the system of transport in Namibia, both public and private.

The following lists events that happened during 1922 in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South West Africa Territorial Force</span> Military unit

The South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF) was an auxiliary arm of the South African Defence Force (SADF) and comprised the armed forces of South West Africa from 1977 to 1989. It emerged as a product of South Africa's political control of the territory which was granted to the former as a League of Nations mandate following World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otjiwarongo</span> City in Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia

Otjiwarongo is a city of 49,000 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. It is the district capital of the Otjiwarongo electoral constituency and also the capital of Otjozondjupa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TransNamib</span> Railway operator in Namibia

TransNamib Holdings Limited, commonly referred to as TransNamib, is a state-owned railway company in Namibia. Organised as a holding company, it provides both rail and road freight services, as well as passenger rail services. Its headquarters are in the country’s capital Windhoek.

Articles related to Namibia include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicle registration plates of Namibia</span> Namibia vehicle license plates

Vehicle registration plates of Namibia are yellow fluorescent metal plates with imprints in black. The standard version is uniform throughout the country, and carries one of the following forms:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telephone numbers in Namibia</span> Namibia telephone calling codes

Namibia's telephone numbering plan was originally devised when the country, then known as South West Africa, was under South African administration, and integrated into the South African telephone numbering plan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windhoek railway station</span> Railway station in Windhoek, Namibia

Windhoek railway station is a railway station serving the city of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. It is an important station in the Namibian rail network, and it is run by TransNamib.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B1 road (Namibia)</span> National highway of Namibia

The B1 is a national highway of Namibia, and is the country's longest and most significant road, running the length of the country from south to north. It connects Noordoewer in the south on the South African border with Oshikango in the north on the Angolan border via Namibia's capital city Windhoek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kranzberg railway station</span> Railway station in Namibia between the towns of Karibib and Usakos

Kranzberg railway station is a railway station in Namibia between the towns of Karibib and Usakos. It is part of the TransNamib Railway. At Kranzberg, the railway line from Windhoek splits; one line continues westwards to Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, the other one continues north-eastwards towards Omaruru and Tsumeb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1950 South West African parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in South West Africa on 30 August 1950. The whites-only election saw a victory for the National Party of South West Africa, which won 15 of the 18 seats in the Legislative Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1955 South West African parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in South West Africa on 16 November 1955. The whites-only election saw a victory for the National Party of South West Africa, which won 16 of the 18 seats in the Legislative Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of rail transport in Namibia</span>

The history of rail transport in Namibia began with a small mining rail line at Cape Cross in 1895. The first major railway project was started in 1897 when the German Colonial Authority built the 600 mm gauge Staatsbahn from Swakopmund to Windhoek. By 1902 the line was completed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Usakos railway station</span> Railway station in Namibia

Usakos railway station is a railway station in Namibia serving the city of Usakos. It is part of the TransNamib railway network. The station building is dilapidated but passenger trains still stop at Usakos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1961 South West African parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in South West Africa on 8 March 1961. The whites-only election saw a victory for the National Party of South West Africa, which won 16 of the 18 seats in the Legislative Assembly. It marked the last time during the apartheid era that any other party won seats.

The Swakopmund–Windhoek line was a main 600 mm narrow-gauge railway line in Namibia. It was built in 1897 and operated until 1990 when the route name was changed.

Otavi railway station is located in the mining town of Otavi in Namibia's central Otjozondjupa Region. It is served by a mostly freight railway and limited number of passenger service. The extension of the railway towards the east to Grootfontein is exclusively for freight service.

References

  1. See German Page Simplon (Namibia)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Dierks, Klaus. "The Development of the Namibian Railway Network. The Rail History Until the 1990s". www.klausdierks.com. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  3. Dierks, Klaus, "The German Period 1895–1915", The Development of the Namibia Railway Network , retrieved 3 July 2007
  4. A.J. Beaton: Notes on railway construction during the 1914-15 campaign in German South-West Africa. Civil Engineering (Siviele Ingenieurswese), Vol 1916, No 1.
  5. Department of Transport - South Africa The Fifth Annual Africa Rail Conference Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on May 20, 2007
  6. Abraham, Tuulikki (2018-10-19). "Train arrives in Lüderitz on durability test mission". New Era. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  7. Ministry of Trade & Industry Northern Railway Extension Archived 2009-01-01 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on June 29, 2007
  8. 1 2 "ANGOLA-NAMIBIA LINK". railwaysafrica.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2014-10-23.
  9. Namibia: Community Vandalizes New Railway Line (9 July 2012)
  10. RailwaysAfrica 2014/5 p11.
  11. Shivute, Oswald (6 July 2012). "At last". The Namibian .
  12. Shaw, Frederic J. (1958). Little Railways of the World . Berkeley, Calif.: Howell-North. 37–38. OCLC   988744.
  13. "TRANS-KALAHARI RAILWAY". railwaysafrica.com.
  14. Kaira, Chamwe (6 November 2009). "Railway line to transport Botswana, Namibia coal on the cards". Namibia Economist .
  15. "ZAMBIA-NAMIBIA LINK". railwaysafrica.com.
  16. Abraham, Tuulikki (2018-10-19). "Train arrives in Lüderitz on durability test mission". New Era Live. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  17. Reporter, New Era (2019-06-03). "Hey !Nami#nus Constituency, what's #nu?". New Era Live. Retrieved 2019-06-16.