Swazi Rail
Encyclopedia
Swazi Rail , also Swaziland Rail, is the official railway corporation of Swaziland
.
of . SR provides only service for transportation of goods, not passengers. However, Spoornet
uses part of its system for passenger transit.
SR's rail system is used to connect the land-locked country to the sea. The older east-west link, called the Goba line, leads from Sid near the Capital Mbabane
to the border with Mozambique
. This allows further transit of bulk goods by rail from Swaziland to Matola
and the port of Maputo
in Mozambique
. Until recently, most of Swaziland's imports were shipped through this port. Conflict in Mozambique
in the 1980s diverted many Swazi exports to ports in South Africa
. A north-south rail link, completed in 1986, provides a connection between Komatipoort
in Mpumalanga
through the eastern part of Swaziland to the South African ports of Richards Bay and Durban
.
line and extend it to Lohiya in South Africa
.
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
.
Overview
Like the neighboring countries, its 301 km rail system (2005) uses the narrow Cape gaugeCape 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 :...
of . SR provides only service for transportation of goods, not passengers. However, Spoornet
Spoornet
Transnet Freight Rail is a South African rail transport company, formerly known as Spoornet. It was part of 'South African Railways and Harbours', a state-controlled organisation that employed hundreds of thousands of people for decades from the first half of the 20th century and was widely...
uses part of its system for passenger transit.
SR's rail system is used to connect the land-locked country to the sea. The older east-west link, called the Goba line, leads from Sid near the Capital Mbabane
Mbabane
-References:...
to the border with 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...
. This allows further transit of bulk goods by rail from Swaziland to Matola
Matola
Matola is a city in southern Mozambique, which lies 12 kilometers to the west of the country's capital, Maputo. Matola is the capital of Maputo Province and has had its own elected municipal government since 1998. It has a port and also the biggest industrial area in Mozambique...
and the port of 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...
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...
. Until recently, most of Swaziland's imports were shipped through this port. Conflict in Mozambique
Mozambican Civil War
The Mozambican Civil War began in 1977, two years after the end of the war of independence. The ruling party, Front for Liberation of Mozambique , was violently opposed from 1977 by the Rhodesian- and South African-funded Mozambique Resistance Movement...
in the 1980s diverted many Swazi exports to ports in 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...
. A north-south rail link, completed in 1986, provides a connection between Komatipoort
Komatipoort
Komatipoort is a town situated at the confluence of the Crocodile and Komati Rivers in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. The town is 8km from the Crocodile Bridge Gate into the Kruger Park, and just 5km from the Mozambique border and 65km from the Swazi border. It is a small, quiet town with some...
in Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga , is a province of South Africa. The name means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. It constitutes 6.5% of South Africa's land area...
through the eastern part of Swaziland to the South African ports of Richards Bay and 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...
.
Extension
There are plans to refurbish the Matsapha to NgwenyaNgwenya
Ngwenya is a town in western Swaziland, lying near the border with South Africa, north west of Mbabane, on the MR3 road. The South African town opposite Ngwenya is Oshoek in Mpumalanga province....
line and extend it to Lohiya in 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...
.