Trans-Kalahari Rail Announces Implementation Timeline
Following several working sessions of the Joint Ministerial Committe (JMC), Namibia and Botswana have arrived an agreed timeline for the implementation of the Trans-Kalahari Rail (#TKR). Botswana, Namibia and South Africa also agreed to establish the Trans-Kalahari Corridor Secretariat in Namibia in order to facilitate and coordinate matters.
Namibian Works and Transport Minister John Mutorwa invited his counterpart Botswana Eric Molala in Windhoek to discuss the TKR as part of the JMC.
KEY MILESTONES OF TRANS-KALAHARI CORRIDOR PROJECT
- 2010 MoU Between Namibia and Botswana to develop the Trans-Kalahari Rail
- 2014 Agreement on development on shared infrastructure at border
- 2022 Namibia and Botswana sign One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) Agreement
- 2023 Launch of EOI
- 2024 Pre-qualification Stage
- 2025 Kick-off of works
The Trans-Kalahari Corridor aims to improve the connectivity of Botswana and give its access to a seaport on the Atlantic Ocean at Walvis Bay, to be precise. Eventually, the TKR will extend eastwards to connect with Johannesburg before connecting either with the Durban or Richards Bay seaports on the Indian Ocean. Alternatively, it can enter Mozambique and end up at the Maputo Seaport on the Mozambique Canal.
The 1,500-km TKR will run from Mmammabula, Rasesa, Phuuduhudu in Botswana. It rail will basically follow the Trans-Kalahari Highway up to the border town of Mamuno. Then, in Namibia, it will wind its way to the seaport of Walvis Bay after passing through Gobabis, Windhoek, Okahandja, Karibib, Usakos and Arandis.
On 6 September 2023, the Expression of Interest (EOI) was launched in September 2023 with a closing date set at 8 November 2023. The project will be administered by the Trans-Kalahari Rail Project Management Office (TKR-PMO).
During the JMC at the end of August 2023, it was highlighted that a high-yield copper was about to be operationalized near the Botswana-Namibia border. Therefore, the TKR will be vital to transport the copper to the seaport for export. The next JMC is expected in November 2023 to take stock of progress and to clear any bottlenecks.