THE National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) says it cannot provide a specific timeline for the resumption of passenger train services in the country.
NRZ public relations manager Andrew Kunambura revealed this while responding to questions by Southern Eye on when the parastatal would revive its passenger train local and intercity routes.
“We have always said we need to boost our freight business first, so that it can return to profitability and subsidise the passenger section,” Kunambura said.
The NRZ has been focusing on revamping its freight services in recent years, as part of efforts to turn around the fortunes of the loss-making parastatal.
“The NRZ is currently attending to both infrastructure and rolling stock issues, which will enable the smooth operation of passenger trains,” he said.
While the development is a positive step towards the eventual resumption of passenger train services, it has left many commuters wondering when they can expect to see the return of this critical public transport service.
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The NRZ suspended its intercity passenger train services in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, while partnering the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company to offer trains to ferry commuters after the government banned local public transport within cities and towns.
The unavailability of passenger trains has forced commuters to rely on road transport, which has become increasingly expensive, especially for city-to-city travel.
The return of passenger train services is expected to bring relief to commuters, who have had to endure high transport costs and congested roads that are in poor condition.