Malawi Railways is the national rail network in
Malawi
Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...
, run by a government corporation until
privatisation
Privatization (rendered privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation w ...
in 1999. As of 1 December 1999 the
Central East African Railways Central East African Railways is a consortium formed in 1999, led by the Railroad Development Corporation, which won the right to operate the Malawi Railways network. The company was sold in September 2008 to INSITEC, an investment group based in ...
, a consortium led by
Railroad Development Corporation
The Railroad Development Corporation is an American railroad holding company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It operates several short line railroads outside the United States and acts as an investor, with management and institutional investor ...
, won the right to operate the network.
The rail network totalled 797 kilometres in 2001. Like most railways in Southern Africa, it is entirely to
Cape gauge
A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment of any length that hangs loosely and connects either at the neck or shoulders. They usually cover the back, shoulders, and arms. They come in a variety of styles and have been used th ...
, i.e. 1067 mm gauge.
Railway links with adjacent countries
Mozambique

In the city of
Nkaya
Nkaya, also known as Nacaia, is a town in Malawi, located in the Balaka District, district of Balaka and in the Southern Region, Malawi, Southern Region of the country.
In 2022 the local Rivi Rivi River which feeds the Shire River diverted by abo ...
there is an interconnection between the
Nacala railway
Nacala railway, also known as Northern Corridor railway and Nacala Corridor railway, is a railway line that operates in northern Mozambique on a lineGarcia, Ana.; Kato, Karina.Politicas Públicas e Interesses Privadas: uma análise a partir do Co ...
and the
Sena railway
Sena railway, also called Shire Highlands railway, Dondo-Malawi railway and North-South Malawi railway, is a railway that connects Dondo, Mozambique, Dondo, Mozambique, to Chipata, in Zambia. It is 1000 km long, in a 3 ft 6 in gauge railways, 1 ...
. Through the Nacala railway, it is possible to access the
Port of Nacala
The Port of Nacala, also called the Nacala port complex, is a Mozambican port located in the cities of Nacala and Nacala-a-Velha. Is the deepest port in Southern Africa. The natural deep harbour serves landlocked Malawi with a railway.
The inf ...
in the east, and in the northwest of Mozambique, in the
Moatize
Moatize is the principal town and administrative center of Moatize District in western Mozambique's Tete Province. It is located on the eastern side of the Zambezi River at the confluence of the Moatize and Revuboe Rivers. After Tete, it is the ...
coal mines. Via the Sena railway (or Shire Highlands railway), there is a connection between the cities of Mchinji, Lilongue, Salima, Nkaya, Blantyre, Nsanje, Nhamayabué, Dondo and Port of Beira.
The
Nacala railway
Nacala railway, also known as Northern Corridor railway and Nacala Corridor railway, is a railway line that operates in northern Mozambique on a lineGarcia, Ana.; Kato, Karina.Politicas Públicas e Interesses Privadas: uma análise a partir do Co ...
line (Nacala Corridor line) to
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
via Nkaya to the port of
Nacala
Nacala (also known as Cidade de Nacala or Nacala-Porto) is a city on the northern coast of Mozambique. Located in the southwestern indentation of inner Fernao Veloso Bay, it is the deepest natural port on the east coast of Africa. Nacala serves a ...
; by the
Sena railway
Sena railway, also called Shire Highlands railway, Dondo-Malawi railway and North-South Malawi railway, is a railway that connects Dondo, Mozambique, Dondo, Mozambique, to Chipata, in Zambia. It is 1000 km long, in a 3 ft 6 in gauge railways, 1 ...
line, from
Nkaya
Nkaya, also known as Nacaia, is a town in Malawi, located in the Balaka District, district of Balaka and in the Southern Region, Malawi, Southern Region of the country.
In 2022 the local Rivi Rivi River which feeds the Shire River diverted by abo ...
to the Nhamayabué (
Dona Ana Bridge
The Dona Ana Bridge spans the lower Zambezi River between the towns of Vila de Sena and Mutarara in Mozambique, effectively linking the two halves of the country. It was originally constructed as a railway bridge to link Malawi and the Moatiz ...
) and
Beira, has not been operational since the war in Mozambique and is in need of reconstruction.
In April 2011, the Malawi government and the Brazilian mining company
Vale
A vale is a type of valley.
Vale may also refer to:
Places Georgia
* Vale, Georgia, a town in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region
Norway
* Våle, a historic municipality
Portugal
* Vale (Santa Maria da Feira), a former civil parish in the municip ...
signed an agreement to construct a short cut railway line from coal mines in
Moatize
Moatize is the principal town and administrative center of Moatize District in western Mozambique's Tete Province. It is located on the eastern side of the Zambezi River at the confluence of the Moatize and Revuboe Rivers. After Tete, it is the ...
to
Blantyre
Blantyre is Malawi's centre of finance and commerce, and its second largest city, with a population of 800,264 . It is sometimes referred to as the commercial and industrial capital of Malawi as opposed to the political capital, Lilongwe. It is ...
, where it would connect with tracks to the port of
Nacala
Nacala (also known as Cidade de Nacala or Nacala-Porto) is a city on the northern coast of Mozambique. Located in the southwestern indentation of inner Fernao Veloso Bay, it is the deepest natural port on the east coast of Africa. Nacala serves a ...
.
Tanzania and Zambia
In 2015, an extension of the Chipata line to a junction with the
TAZARA
The Tazara Railway, also called the Uhuru Railway or the Tanzam Railway, is a railway in East Africa linking the port of Dar es Salaam in east Tanzania with the town of Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia's Central Province. The single-track railway is ...
line at
Serenje
Serenje is a town in Serenje District, Central Province, Zambia, lying just off the Great North Road and TAZARA Railway. Serenje has a railway station on the TAZARA railway. Serenje is approximately 191 km from Kapiri Mposhi on the Great ...
was proposed. In 2016, the contract was awarded. There is no direct link with neighbouring
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
as there is a /
break of gauge
With railways, a break of gauge occurs where a line of one track gauge (the distance between the rails, or between the wheels of trains designed to run on those rails) meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and railroad car, rolling stock g ...
.
A rail link to
Chipata
Chipata is a city and administrative centre of the Eastern Province of Zambia and Chipata District. It was declared the 5th city of the country, after Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe and Livingstone, by President Edgar Lungu on 24 February 2017. The cit ...
in
Zambia
Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...
was completed in 1984, but a connection onward into Zambia was only opened in 2010. This line remains idle because there are few facilities at Chipata.
See also
*
Economy of Malawi
The economy of Malawi is $7.522 billion by gross domestic product as of 2019, and is predominantly agricultural, with about 80% of the population living in rural areas. The landlocked country in south central Africa ranks among the world's leas ...
*
History of rail transport in Malawi
*
Transport in Malawi
Transportation in Malawi is poorly developed. The country of almost 23 million has 39 airports, 6 with paved runways and 33 with unpaved runways. It has of railways, all narrow-gauge and about 45 percent of its roads are paved. Though it is ...
References
Notes
Further reading
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External links
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{{Africa in topic, Rail transport in