SOUTH AFRICA
(http://www.traveldudes.org/files/tips/cape-town-train-station.jpg)
Cape Town Station
(http://inlinethumb45.webshots.com/45356/2120219760104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
Gautrain South Africa's HSR
(http://inlinethumb03.webshots.com/46338/2047446950104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
WORLD FAMOUS BLUE TRAIN
(http://inlinethumb48.webshots.com/12975/2466994440104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
Gautrain
(http://inlinethumb48.webshots.com/47983/2552105290104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
South Africa Commuter Train
SOUTH AFRICA
Gautrain’s skilled technicians have just completed the last of the Gautrain’s 81 locally assembled rail cars at the UCW Partnership in Nigel. The last rail car was delivered to Gautrain’s depot in Midrand on 7 December 2010 and was welcomed by a host of guests celebrating its arrival.
“It is a moment of intense pride as South Africans celebrate that which is possible right here at home,†said Mandla Nkomfe, MEC Gauteng Department of Finance. “Socio-Economic Development achievements by Gautrain have contributed to Gauteng Provincial Government objectives as it enables faster economic growth and job creation and develops healthy, skilled and productive peopleâ€.
The carriages arrived in a heavy hauler from specialist heavy lifting and transportation company Vanguard. These will complete the full Gautrain fleet of 24 four-car train sets each consisting of four rail cars, which is equivalent to 96 rail cars.
Gautrain rolling stock is based on the well known BOMBARDIER ELECTROSTAR series, known for it’s state-of-the-art technology and reliable, high performance standards on commuter routes in the United Kingdom. The lightweight aluminium car bodies â€" a first for South Africa â€" also offer increased energy efficiency and reduced maintenance requirements. It has been customised to meet South African requirements. A core feature of the ELECTROSTAR rail cars is their suitability for local assembly, which is made possible by the use of modular construction methodology. In turn, this delivers on Gautrain’s socio-economic objectives of skills transfer and job creation. Of the total of 96 rail cars, ten are specially customised for use on the airport link, and contain additional features such as extra luggage space and wider seats. The other 86 rail cars are designed for commuter services.
SOURCE: http://www.gautrain.co.za/newsroom/2010/12/gautrain-completes-its-last-rail-car/
ETHIOPIA
(http://inlinethumb50.webshots.com/5105/2806441100104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
(http://www.newsdire.com/uploads/posts/2010-09/1285390918_0.jpg)
ETHIOPIA
“As part of the draft Five-year Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP), the government has announced its intention to construct close to 2,000km of railway by 2015. Being an effective, low-cost, and time-saving mode of transporting products in bulk, rail transportation enjoys a high priority in the GTP.
“The national network is intended to support Ethiopia’s agricultural sector by transporting export grain and livestock, according to ERC board chairman and newly-appointed minister of foreign affairs and deputy prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn, speaking during the signing ceremony.
“Expediency seems to be important for the government as the search for financing has taken a long time. Although India and China were initially approached to finance the project, it was China who came through with the money in the end. A few months ago, the Export Import Bank of China reportedly signed a $US100 million loan.
“The Chinese Railway Corporation was awarded the track from Addis Abeba to Mesio, part of the track going to Djibouti. As the major export corridor of the country, the railway to Djibouti has been given priority by the government.â€
SOURCE: http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2010/11/ethiopia%E2%80%99s-grand-plans/
ERITREA
(http://inlinethumb23.webshots.com/45142/2596657320104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
(http://www.panos.org.uk/thumbnail.php)
ERITREA:
Eritrea’s enthusiastic railway builders, who have literally done the impossible by restoring the117km, 950mm gauge Asmara-Mts’iwa (Red Sea port) line in forbidding mountainous territory with the barest minimum of resources, have ambitious aims. The first stage is to rebuild the 124km section west of Asmara (the capital at an elevation of 2,394m, ie higher than Johannesburg) to Ak’ordat which has been out of action for several decades. The next step envisages a 109km extension to Bisha and after that the Sudan border near Tessenei, with an ultimate connection to Kassala (on Sudan’s Khartoum-Haiya-Port Sudan line) in mind. The governmenrt has assigned 1,000 soldiers to help railway CEO Amanuel Ghebreselassie with his demanding project.
In its best year, 1957, the line moved 200,000 tonnes of freight but the war with Ethiopia ravaged the railway and today most goods are conveyed â€" somehow â€" over the winding mountain road. Regular passenger service does not yet exist but pre-booked tourist excursions run from time to time, using antique Mallett steam locomotives.
SOURCE: http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2007/01/en-route-to-the-sudan/
SWAZILAND
(http://inlinethumb27.webshots.com/44634/2623612190104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
(http://inlinethumb01.webshots.com/16192/2780402180104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
"Hello Jaxport? Guess WHAT we have?"
(http://www.locopage.net/sa34oudtshoorn.jpg)
Improving on this...
SWAZILAND:
By railwaysafricaeditor / April 19, 2010 / Swaziland
In a recent interview, Swaziland Railway (SR) Chief executive Gideon Mahlalela told a reporter that the number of tourists who prefer travelling by train “grows by the dayâ€, which he said augurs well for the growth of the industry. The railway has partnered with two privately-owned South Africa-based organisations, Rovos Rail and Shongololo, in “offering an exciting travel alternative to tourists in the region.â€
On 8 April, 77 tourists arrived at Mpaka station in Swaziland aboard the Shongololo Southern Cross. On 9 April, 46 golfers passing through en route to Ezulwini were welcomed to the country by Mahlalela. On 9 and 10 April taken together, 123 tourists arrived by rail.
SOURCE: http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2010/04/rail-tourism-in-swaziland/
ZAMBIA
(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/4/28/1272474687337/AFRICAN-RAILWAY-006.jpg)
Zambian Long-Distance Train
(http://photos.igougo.com/images/p76904-Zambia-Victoria_Falls.jpg)(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QM2-6hVKZbQ/TBHDHIwfHoI/AAAAAAAAK6Q/xw6uP5i31po/s1600/The_Victoria_Falls_Bridge.jpg)
Victoria Fall's Railway Bridge - It's being speeded up too
By railwaysafricaeditor / August 20, 2010 / Zambia
The Chipata-Mchinji line will be officially opened on 27 August, Zambian Eastern Province minister Isaac Banda told the press. The government has invited Malawian and Mozambique officials to attend the function.
Banda said the date was set to coincide with the hosting of this year’s Kulamba traditional ceremony of the Chewa-speaking people of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, scheduled to take place in Katete on 28 August.
Building of the Chipata-Mchinji railway was launched in 1982 as a bilateral project between Zambia and Malawi but the Zambian Government abandoned it 10 years afterwards because of lack of funds. The scheme was revitalised in 2006 by late president Levy Mwanawasa.
In 2009, the government allocated another K10 billion in the national budget for completion of the line.
SOURCE: http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2010/08/chipata-mchinji-line-to-open/
MOZAMBIQUE
(http://inlinethumb17.webshots.com/44560/2756426990104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
Mozambique Long Distance Train
(http://i55.tinypic.com/29ordk8.jpg)
MOZAMBIQUE
By railwaysafricaeditor / January 31, 2011 / Mozambique
According to Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative (MCLI) CEO Brenda Horne Ferreira: The fact that we congregated more than 600 participants at the CFM railway station [in Maputo] at the MCLI sixth annual general meeting bears witness to the continued support and momentum on our corridor, with the three rail partners also jointing the board of MCLI clearly enforcing the importance of sufficient rail service to support the port of Maputo.
“MCLI for 2011 will remain focused on the following areas on our corridor to support and promote operational efficiencies and in so doing reduce the cost of transport and hence the cost of doing business in the region:
• Continued promotion of the Maputo multi-modal, multi-lateral transit corridor comprising a well-maintained road, rail line, border post, multi-purpose port and terminals, with continued services by our members and other stakeholders â€" with a continued greater MCLI presence in Maputo, now that our application as a foreign NPO operating in Mozambique is lodged with the ministry of foreign affairs;
• Engagement with our rail operators to ensure that rail transport fully supports the full potential of the Port of Maputo.â€
SOURCE: http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2011/01/focus-on-rail-to-maputo/
ANGOLA
(http://inlinethumb07.webshots.com/44486/2508114240104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
Birth of a new railway age... FROM CHINA
(http://inlinethumb42.webshots.com/26089/2621530100104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
NEW HSR RAILWAY BRIDGE
ANGOLA:
After decades out of use, Angola's war-shattered railways are coming back to life with new trains, tracks and stations.
The first section to open fully will be the 424km (263 miles) Luanda to Malange route, taking people and freight from the capital up into Angola's agriculture-rich central north-eastern region.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
This train is a symbol of Angola's peace and development.â€
End Quote Jose Joao Kuvingua Vice Minister of Transport, Angola
Already operating a peak-hour 30km (19-mile) commuter service between central Luanda and its eastern suburbs, the trains will soon be running the full length of the railway, linking previously isolated rural communities with provincial capitals.
The fleet of diesel locomotives serving the Caminho de Ferro de Luanda (CFL; Luanda Railway) are proudly painted in the Angolan colours of red, black and yellow with a national flag attached to the door of the driver's cab.
There are 16 new stations along the line all painted in bright pinks and oranges and some with glass and steel fronts.
They cut a stark contrast to their bullet-marked colonial predecessors which stand often just metres away from the new structures, as a crumbling memory of Angola's war-torn past....
....Like the track and stations, the locomotives are also Chinese and there is a strange mix of English, Portuguese and Chinese signage inside the carriages which are nonetheless clean and modern with functioning toilets and a restaurant car.
There will be three different passenger classes on the Luanda to Malange service: "Primeira", with reclining leather seats with individual television sets; "Expresso" with comfortable chairs arranged in fours around tables and communal televisions; and "Tramway" the cheapest option fitted out with benches to maximise passenger numbers.
Ticket prices are yet to be announced but a CFL official told the BBC he hoped the standard fare would be less than the current price of a coach from Luanda to Malange, which is 2,500 kwanzas ($26; £17).
The CFL is the first of three train lines to come back into full service and by the end of 2012, Angola hopes to have all three fully operational again.
The Caminho de Ferro de Benguela (CFB) is the longest railway in Africa, stretching 1,344km (835 miles) from the port city of Lobito on the Atlantic coast over to the small town of Luau, on the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
SOURCE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11295533
OCKLAWAHA