On the edge of the savannah in southern Africa, an old railway that had been dormant for many years is ushering in a brand new pulse of freight transportation. Dingsen Steel, a subsidiary of Qing Shan Holdings, has signed a cooperation agreement with Zimbabwe National Railways to inject new industrial momentum into the long sluggish railway freight network in the area.

Two way 1.7 million ton strategic channel landing

Manhize Iron and Steel Plant will transport 1.1 million tons of coal annually by railway from the Wangai coal mine area 600 kilometers away, while also exporting 600000 tons of steel products to the domestic and surrounding markets in Zimbabwe. After the project is completed, the annual two-way railway freight volume can reach 1.7 million tons. Previously, the total freight volume of Zimbabwe National Railway in 2025 was only about 2 million tons. This single cooperation project will directly add more than 80% of its annual freight growth, significantly reversing the long-term sluggish situation of railway freight transportation.

Previously, the railway system in Zimbabwe had a freight volume of 10.5 to 14 million tons in the 1990s. However, due to long-term insufficient investment, the aging of the lines and the continuous expansion of the shortage of locomotives and vehicles have forced a large amount of bulk goods to shift to higher cost road transportation. This cooperation provides a new commercial sample for the recovery of local railways by locking in stable sources of goods and activating idle railway assets in reverse.

BOT mode connects the last 50 kilometers

Grand Railway Solutions, a subsidiary of Dingsen Steel, is responsible for providing locomotives, freight cars, and fuel, while Zimbabwe National Railways provides railway infrastructure usage rights and train crew. Both parties are jointly promoting the restoration of the existing 80 kilometer line from Gweru to Mwuma, with a total investment of approximately 27 million US dollars. In the future, both parties will adopt the BOT model to build a 50 kilometer railway from Mwuma to Manhize Steel Plant, which will be financed and constructed by Chinese enterprises. After the project is completed, it will be transferred to Zimbabwe National Railway, and the construction cost will be recovered through freight deduction. Keywords: the Belt and Road, railway infrastructure, Zimbabwe National Railway

The Zimbabwe National Railway is currently in talks with the African Export Import Bank for a $115 million financing plan to purchase 10 locomotives and 315 freight cars, and simultaneously repair multiple key lines. The goal is to increase the annual freight volume to 12 million tons by 2030. The railway upgrade project participated by Chinese enterprises this time will directly fill the logistics gap of Manhize Steel Plant, support the continuous release of production capacity of this steel base with a total investment of 1 billion US dollars, and lay a solid foundation for the recovery of the local railway network.Editor/Cheng Liting