By 
The National Railways of Zimbabwe {NRZ] has opened its railway infrastructure to private players in a bid to address capacity challenges it is facing, the General Manager, has revealed.
The NRZ Board chaired by Mike Madiro has approved a recommendation by management to allow capacitated private companies to use the NRZ tracks.The open access strategy will result in a tripartite arrangement where involved parties will provide locomotives and wagons to move cargo for NRZ customers,pay access and administration fees to the NRZ.
General manager Respina Zinyanduko said, “This arrangement will result in NRZ providing timeous movement of traffic to and from the ports thus affecting quality service and efficiency to its customers who were resorting to road usage for a solution”.
The companies have expressed interest in the open access strategy and will come on board on 1 January 2024. The General Manager said, “The initiative will ease pressure on the roads as more bulk cargo will be moved by rail while also generating income for the NRZ through access and administration fees”,
“Furthermore, the private capacity players will also use NRZ drivers as well as get their locomotives and wagons serviced at the NRZ workshops thus creating employment for the country. This arrangement will allow NRZ to pursue its recapitalization initiatives while at the same time providing the much-needed reliable service to its esteemed customers,” said the General manager.
The NRZ is on a recovery path following years of nose-diving operations. The company in the past years failed to pay salaries and other creditors, both local and foreign.
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