Sena corridor heralds hope
Excitement was the prevalent emotion yesterday as a train arrived at Marka in Nsanje as President Lazarus Chakwera led the welcome party for the first delivery of fuel by railway in 41 years.
It was a dream come true for the President who promised to revive the train hauls by rehabilitating the Sena Corridor railway line that links Malawi to the Mozambican Indian Ocean port of Beira.
Yesterday morning, following rehabilitation of part of the railway line from Bangula in Nsanje to the border point at Marka, the sound of a train horn heralded the arrival of 1.2 million litres of fuel belonging to National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma) and faces of the President and everyone present brightened up.
Speaking during the relaunch of the connection destroyed during the Mozambican civil war in 1983, Chakwera said he was excited because 70 days after being sworn in as President in 2020, he told Parliament of his administration’s desire to revive the Sena Corridor.
He said: “I shared the vision of my government and I told them my administration is bringing back rail. I am glad that my promise has been fulfilled.”
From Marka, the fuel will be hauled by road tankers to Blantyre.
The launch comes at a time the rail construction between Marka and Nsanje Boma stalled due to cost complications pending the ‘no objection’ from the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA), according to Minister of Transport and Public Works Jacob Hara.
The minister said the project was complex as it has 50 bridges and 102 box culverts.
But in an interview yesterday, PPDA director general Eddington Chilapondwa while confirming receipt of a request to approve the revised project costs , said this process was not connected with the project’s delays.
He said: “The current request which we received two weeks ago is only to do with the price.”
Meanwhile, Nocma board chairperson Colleen Zamba said when fully connected to Blantyre, the railway line will complement the Nacala Corridor and could reduce the landing cost of fuel ,apart from facilitating trade and movement of people.
The project has encountered delays due to change of contractor in 2021 and later cyclones Anna, Gombe and Freddy as well as devaluations of the kwacha in May 2022 and November 2023.
In 2020, Chakwera and his Mozambican counterpart Felipe Nyusi agreed to revive the railway line between the two countries, which is one of Malawi’s shortest routes to Beira.
Mozambique already completed its 44-kilometre (km) section from Mutarara to Marka while Malawi is still working on the 72km section between Marka and Bangula.
The Sena Corridor railway line was closed in 1983, but the railway connection between Bangula in Nsanje and Limbe in Blantyre continued to operate until floods damaged a bridge at Chiromo in 1997. Since then, only the section between Makhanga in Nsanje and Limbe has remained operational.
