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Business Reporter
THE Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway (BBR) Company has invited tender applications for a $5 million rehabilitation project of the Beitbridge-Bulawayo railway permanent way. In a statement, BBR indicated the successful contractor was expected to start the project this year up to 2017. “BBR invites qualified and experienced contractors to tender their services for the 2015 to 2017 permanent way rehabilitation programme worth $5 million,” said BBR.

The rehabilitation of the railway infrastructure is a critical step towards developing a vibrant bulk transport system in line with the government blue-print, Zim-Asset.

The move is significant in the context of ageing railway infrastructure that continues to dog the National Railways of Zimbabwe.

BBR said those interested should submit their applications by April 30, 2015 stressing that late applications would not be accepted.

“The expression of interest should outline the following; organisation profile on letter head accompanied by a copy of certificate of incorporation and up-to-date CR14, current tax clearance certificate, and the ability to adhere to the standards for railway permanent way as prescribed by legislation in Zimbabwe.

“An outline of the principle engineering skills within the company, references that enable the sight and check of work completed and a bank statement confirming financial capacity to operate within the required terms of payment,” said BBR.

Last year, a South African integrated logistics service provider Grindrod Limited, through its subsidiary New Limpopo Project Investments, said it had snapped an 85 percent stake in BBR and immediately availed $2 million that will go towards refurbishment of old locomotives in Bulawayo.

Grindrod holds a controlling stake in Mauritius registered as NLPI, which now owns BBR.

Other NLPI shareholders include South African companies Nedbank, Old Mutual, Sanlam and New Limpopo Bridge Projects — an investment company controlled by Israeli citizens Mordechai Tager and Zion Elani.

Grindrod Limited last August said it had already set in motion a massive plan by deploying new locomotives on the corridor and investing in rehabilitation and maintenance of the track.