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Business Reporter
THE National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) says its business volumes continue on an upward trend after it moved more than 1,4 million tonnes of cargo between 1 July and 31 October 2018.

The tonnage is an increase of four percent from the 1,3 million tonnes moved during the same period last year, public relations manager, Mr Nyasha Maravanyika, said yesterday.

“The NRZ has witnessed an increase in freight volumes since it received interim solution equipment in February this year as part of the $400 million recapitalisation framework agreement signed with the Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group (DIDG) / Transnet Consortium,” he said in statement.

The NRZ is leasing 13 locomotives, 200 wagons and seven coaches from the South African rail utility, Transnet, as a temporary measure while awaiting finalisation of the recapitalisation agreement, which will see the rail giant acquiring its own rolling stock as part of the recapitalisation project.

“However, the equipment delivered so far falls short of the organisation’s requirements as the parastatal has failed to move some of the availed business. During the period between July and October, the NRZ sourced 1,625, 909 tonnes for transportation but managed to move 1,447,499 tonnes, resulting in a negative variance of 12 percent,” Maravanyika explained.

“In July, the parastatal moved 360 141 tonnes of cargo from the 390 266 tonnes it had sourced. In August, cargo volumes moved were 370 622 tonnes while 390 266 tonnes had been sourced.

“In September the rail giant uplifted 354 034 tonnes of the 404 450 tonnes sourced while in October, 422, 485 tonnes were sourced but 362 702 tonnes were moved.”

He said of the 207 241 tonnes sourced in import traffic, the NRZ managed to move all the availed business.

The parastatal also sourced 335 281 in exports but was able to move 238 734 tonnes due to limited capacity.