National Railways of Zimbabwe - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) is the parastatal railway of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

. The Zimbabwe railway system was largely constructed during the time of British colonial

Southern Rhodesia

Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...

rule, and part of it represents a segment of the Cape-Cairo railway

Cape-Cairo railway

The Cape to Cairo Railway is an uncompleted project to cross Africa from south to north by rail. This plan was initiated at the end of the 18th century, during the time of colonial rule, largely under the vision of Cecil Rhodes, in the attempt to connect adjacent African possessions of the British...

. Until 1980 it was called Rhodesia Railways (RR).

Operations

NRZ operates about 3,000 km of rail at the Cape gauge

Cape gauge

Cape gauge is a track gauge of between the inside of the rail heads and is classified as narrow gauge. It has installations of around .The gauge was first used by Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl and the first line was opened in 1862.- Nomenclature :...

providing passenger and freight services. The gauge is standard for all of southern Africa. NRZ has an important transit function in the southern part of Africa and is well linked with neighboring countries: toward the north, at Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls

The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:...

the system links to the Zambia Railways

Zambia Railways

Zambia Railways is the national railway of Zambia, one of the two major railroad organizations in Zambia, which may also be referred to as Railway Systems of Zambia...

, crossing the Victoria Falls Bridge

Victoria Falls Bridge

The Victoria Falls Bridge crosses the Zambezi River just below the Victoria Falls and is built over the Second Gorge of the falls. As the river is the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the bridge links the two countries and has border posts on the approaches to both ends, at the towns of Victoria...

. Toward the Indian ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

the system links to the Beira Railroad Corporation

Beira Railroad Corporation

The Beira Railroad Corporation is a railway company formed by a lease from the Mozambique Ports and Railways to the Indian Rites and Ircon International consortium to operate a railroad that originates from the port of Beira, Mozambique as terminal...

in Mozambique

Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...

. A second line toward Mozambique reaches Maputo

Maputo

Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...

. To the west, a connecting line link ups to Botswana Railways

Botswana Railways

Botswana Railways is the national railway of Botswana.-History:BR was created in 1987 when the government of Botswana bought out the Botswana-based sections of the National Railways of Zimbabwe . NRZ had been initially operating the rail system after Botswana had gained independence.Management of...

to reach South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, eventually reaching Durban

Durban

Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...

and Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

. A direct line to South Africa from Bulawayo was opened in 1999 by the Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway

Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway

The Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway is a privately owned railway company that provides a rail link in Zimbabwe between Beitbridge at the border to South Africa and Zimbabwe's second city Bulawayo....

. The 313 km Gweru-Harare section is electrified at 25 kV AC

25 kV AC

The 25 kV Alternating current railway electrification system is commonly used in railways worldwide, especially for high-speed rail.-Overview:This electrification system is ideal for railways that cover long distances and/or carry heavy traffic...

Steam

Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

s are still used in Zimbabwe; they have proven so popular with tourists that there are plans to refurbish several more steam locomotives. However, funding is constrained, and diesel-hauled freight transport is a higher priority.

Crisis

The NRZ has also suffered of the general decline of the country's economy. Neglect of maintenance, lacking spare parts and overdue replacement of equipment have led to a situation were only part of the railroad net is in good condition and equipment problems have led to reduced service. Steam locomotives have been reintroduced since 2004 as coal is in relatively good supply, while diesel must be imported and electricity shortages are common. Further, the company is seriously indebted, making it impossible to solve this situation without external help. Goods transport has declined, from 18 million tonnes in 1998 to 2 million tonnes in 2010.

Major accidents

On 27 August 2006 more than 60 people were killed in a head-on collision

Head-on collision

A head-on collision is one where the front ends of two ships, trains, planes or vehicles hit each other, as opposed to a side collision or rear-end collision.-Rail transport:...

between a passenger train and a freight train 30 km south of Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls

The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:...

On 3 June 2006 five fatalities occurred in the Ngungumbane rail crash
Ngungumbane rail crash
- Details :Early on Saturday 3 June 2006, a 33-wagon mixed goods consist including 3 fuel tankers ran into a stationary passenger train at Ngungumbane siding, derailing the locomotive and two wagons. Both trains were bound for Bulawayo, the goods from Chiredzi and the passenger from Rutenga...

.
On 1 February 2003 forty people died in the Dete train crash
Dete train crash
The Dete train crash was a railway accident which occurred on the 1 February 2003 in the Zimbabwean town of Dete in the Western part of the country about from Victoria Falls....

.

Major lines and stations

Line	Stations	Notes
Victoria Falls - Bulawayo	Victoria Falls Victoria Falls The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:... Thomson Junction Hwange Hwange Hwange is a town in western Zimbabwe, in the province of Matabeleland North. It is named after the chieftain of Zwange, who is now called Chief Hwange. The town was known as Wankie until 1982. According to the 1992 Population Census, the town had a population of 42,581... Dete Dete Dete is a small railway re-crewing depot and village on the Bulawayo-Hwange-Victoria Falls railway line in Zimbabwe, approximately north of Bulawayo and south of Hwange, lying within the Hwange National Park.-Features:... Bulawayo Bulawayo Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...	Link from Victoria Falls to Zambia Railways Zambia Railways Zambia Railways is the national railway of Zambia, one of the two major railroad organizations in Zambia, which may also be referred to as Railway Systems of Zambia... , Zambia Rail transport in Zambia Rail transport in Zambia is primarily provided by two companies:* TAZARA Railway* Zambia Railways Limited-Railway links with adjacent countries: DR Congo - yes, Ndola to Sakania then Lubumbashi - , freight only. . The current operating status of Chililabombwe-DR Congo link not known...
Bulawayo – Harare	Bulawayo Bulawayo Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland... Somabhula Somabhula Somabhula is a village in Midlands province in Zimbabwe. It is also the rail junction for Zimbabwe's southern links to neighboring Mozambique and South Africa. It was a major beef and mixed farming area up until the time that Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF confiscated farmland from white farmers. It is... Mbizi Mbizi Mbizi is a village in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. It is the junction of the Gweru-Maputo and lowveld railway lines, operated by National Railways of Zimbabwe.... Chiredzi Chiredzi Chiredzi is a small town in Masvingo province in south-east Zimbabwe. Together with its sister town of Triangle, it is the major center of sugar production in the country.-Background:... Malvernia Gweru Gweru Gweru is a city near the centre of Zimbabwe at . It has a population of about 146,073 , making it the third largest city in the nation. Gweru is the capital of Midlands Province. Gweru was founded in 1894 by Dr. Leander Starr Jameson. The first bank opened in Gweru in 1896, and the stock exchange... Masvingo Masvingo Masvingo is a town in south-eastern Zimbabwe and the capital of Masvingo Province. The town is close to Great Zimbabwe, the national monument from which the country takes its name.- History :... Kwekwe Kwekwe Kwekwe or Kwe Kwe , formerly spelt Que Que, is a city in central Zimbabwe. It is located in the centre of the country —roughly equidistant from Harare to the northeast and Bulawayo to the southwest. Its population stood at 47,607 in 1982, 75,425 in 1992 and the preliminary result of the 2002... Kadoma Kadoma, Zimbabwe Kadoma is a city in Zimbabwe in the Mashonaland West province, 140 km south-west of Harare on the main road to Bulawayo. It was known as Gatooma until 1982.... Chegutu Chegutu Chegutu is a town in the Mashonaland West province, northern Zimbabwe and is 110km southwest of Harare on the main Harare-Bulawayo road . According to the 1992 Population Census, the town had a population of 30,191... Harare Harare Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...	Link from Malvernia to Maputo Maputo Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its... , Mozambique
Bulawayo – Francistown	Marula Marula, Zimbabwe Marula is a small village and railway station on the Bulawayo-Plumtree railway lineCoordinates:... Plumtree Plumtree, Zimbabwe Plumtree, Zimbabwe is a town in Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe, close to the border to Botswana. It is the local administrative centre. It sits at an altitude of 1280 metres on the watershed between the Limpopo river and the Nata river that drains into Okavango to the north. The annual rainfall is... , border to Botswana Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966... Francistown Francistown Francistown or Nyangabgwe is the second largest city in Botswana, with a population of about 85,363, and often described as the "Capital of the North". It is located in eastern Botswana, about north-northeast from the capital, Gaborone... , Botswana	Part of the line is in Botswana Connects further to Mafeking, South Africa Rail transport in South Africa Rail transport in South Africa is the most important element of the country's transport infrastructure. All major cities are connected by rail, and South Africa's railway system is the most highly developed in Africa... In 1911 Rhodesia Railways was granted a special agreement to preserve its rights of access under the Tati Concessions Land Tati Concessions Land The Tati Concessions Land was a concession created in the borderlands of the Matabele kingdom and the Bechuanaland Protectorate. The concession was originally made by the Matabele King to Sir John Swinburne... Act, which formally annexed a former territory of Matabeleland Matabeleland Modern day Matabeleland is a region in Zimbabwe divided into three provinces: Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South. These provinces are in the west and south-west of Zimbabwe, between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers. The region is named after its inhabitants, the Ndebele people... , an area including Francistown Francistown Francistown or Nyangabgwe is the second largest city in Botswana, with a population of about 85,363, and often described as the "Capital of the North". It is located in eastern Botswana, about north-northeast from the capital, Gaborone... , to the Bechuanaland Protectorate (modern Botswana).
Harare - Shamva/Kildonan/Zawi	Harare Harare Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its... Shamva Shamva Shamva is a village in the province of Mashonaland Central, Zimbabwe. It is located in the Mazowe valley about 90 km north-east of Harare. It is an area with fertile soils hence there is high farming activity.According to the 1982 Population Census, the village had a population of 4,617... Maryland, Zimbabwe Kildonan Kildonan Kildonan may refer to:Kildonan, Skye, a crofting township on the island of SkyeKildonan, Sutherland, a parish containing the village of Helmsdale.*Kildonan, Arran, a village on the Isle of Arran, Scotland... Zawi
Harare – Mutare	Marondera Marondera Marondera is a town in Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe, located about 72 km east of Harare; population 39,384... Macheke Macheke Macheke is a town in the province of Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe, located about 105 km south-east of Harare on the main Harare-Mutare road. According to the 1982 Population Census, the town had a population of 1,888. It was named after the Macheke River and means "you have divided"... Rusape Rusape Rusape is a town in the province of Manicaland, Zimbabwe with a population of around 20,000 , situated on the Harare-Mutare main road, approximately 170 km south east of Harare and 93 km north west of Mutare. Rusape is a large, sprawling town that has not quite reached city status... Nyazura Nyazura Nyazura is a village in the province of Manicaland, Zimbabwe located 72 km north west of Mutare on the main road and railway linking Harare and Mutare. The phosphate from Dorowa are handled by the railways here.... Mutare Mutare Mutare is the fourth largest city in Zimbabwe, with a population of around 170,000. It is the capital of Manicaland province.-History:... ,	Link from Mutare to Beira Railroad Corporation Beira Railroad Corporation The Beira Railroad Corporation is a railway company formed by a lease from the Mozambique Ports and Railways to the Indian Rites and Ircon International consortium to operate a railroad that originates from the port of Beira, Mozambique as terminal... , Mozambique
Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway (privately owned)		Connects to Beitbridge Beitbridge Beitbridge or Mzingwane is a border town in the province of Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe. The name also refers to the border post and bridge spanning the Limpopo River, which forms the political border between South Africa and Zimbabwe.-Background:... , South Africa Rail transport in South Africa Rail transport in South Africa is the most important element of the country's transport infrastructure. All major cities are connected by rail, and South Africa's railway system is the most highly developed in Africa... . The privately-owned Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway The Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway is a privately owned railway company that provides a rail link in Zimbabwe between Beitbridge at the border to South Africa and Zimbabwe's second city Bulawayo.... (BBR) provides a direct rail link to South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... . This railway was opened in 1999 and will become part of the NRZ after 30 years.

Museum

The Zimbabwe National Railways Museum

Bulawayo Railway Museum

Bulawayo Railway Museum is a museum next to Bulawayo railway station in Zimbabwe, with several exhibits of the history of railways in Zimbabwe and Rhodesia. Its oldest exhibits date back as far as 1897, and include Cecil Rhodes' personal railway coach....

is in Bulawayo

Bulawayo

Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...

; it has a selection of locomotives, railway carriages and other interesting things. One of the exhibits is a Rhodesia Railways class DE2

Rhodesia Railways class DE2

Rhodesia Railways class DE2 are a type of diesel locomotive built for operations on Rhodesia Railways in the 1950s.The first DE2, number 1200, entered service on 22 June 1955...

diesel locomotive

Diesel locomotive

A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...

Well known employees (past and present)

Former Vice President Joshua Nkomo
Joshua Nkomo
Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo was the leader and founder of the Zimbabwe African People's Union and a member of the Kalanga tribe...

worked there as a social worker in 1948.
Roy Welensky
Roy Welensky
Sir Raphael "Roy" Welensky, KCMG was a Northern Rhodesian politician and the second and last prime minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland...

the last Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, also known as the Central African Federation , was a semi-independent state in southern Africa that existed from 1953 to the end of 1963, comprising the former self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia and the British protectorates of Northern Rhodesia,...

worked as an engineer for Rhodesia Railways before entering politics.

External links

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