Mozambique To Remove ‘Rail Borders’ With Four More Countries

By Jorge Joaquim

Mozambique will sign agreements to remove ‘rail borders’ with Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia in the next few days, as one of the strategies found for reducing transit time in the country’s rail corridors, transport minister Mateus Magala announced.

The agreements will allow trains to cross borders without swapping locomotives or crews, as is already the case with South Africa and Eswatini, he added.

The measure seeks to simplify procedures to make Nacala and Beira Corridors more competitive. The Nacala Corridor links the northern Mozambican port of Nacala to Malawi, while the Beira Corridor runs from the port of Beira to Zimbabwe.

The Mozambican government’s desire to eliminate the rail borders with Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia follows the removal of the physical rail borders with South Africa on 1 July last year, and with Eswatini on 8 August.