Central East African Railways Company (CEAR) has announced plans to recommence operations within Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi.
In a press release dated Thursday, May 23, 2024, CEAR informed the public that the railway network spanning from Nkaya to Kanengo, traversing through Lilongwe, is nearing completion.
In consideration of safety concerns for both individuals and the environment, CEAR has requested the Lilongwe District Council to facilitate the removal and relocation of informal market communities currently situated within the railway reserve along the Balang’ombe, Mweziwawala, and Nyanja railway links.
The release emphasized the need to relocate these market communities to safer locations away from the railway reserve.
“We are of the view that this informal market community can be relocated to another place, far from the railway reserve and which is safer, then both CEAR and the council can jointly reduce avoidable risk of death and injuries to people caused by train movements,” Reads part of the release.
The railway network in Malawi comprises 933km of mainline single cape gauge, with 20km currently non-operational due to infrastructure damages resulting from flooding. The axle load capacity of the network ranges from 15 to 20.5 tonnes.
