Mining giant ZIMASCO has injected US$2.5 million into the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) under a Public‑Private Partnership (PPP) scheme, breathing new life into the country’s struggling rail system.
The partnership has led to the refurbishment of three locomotives and 100 wagons, which were officially commissioned at Harare Station on Thursday.
The work was carried out at NRZ’s Bulawayo Mechanical Workshops and forms part of the Government’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which prioritises private sector collaboration to revive national infrastructure.
Under the agreement, ZIMASCO funded the procurement of critical spares and consumables worth about US$2.46 million.
NRZ spokesperson Andrew Kunambura said the initiative had enabled the rail operator to pursue a cost‑effective recapitalisation programme that boosts operational capacity.
“The refurbished locomotives are DE 10A models (EMD GT22LC‑2), while the wagons are High Sided Iron (HSI) type. Work on the first locomotive began in January 2024, with the last one completed on 28 January 2026,” Kunambura said.
He added that the first wagon entered the workshop in August 2023. Each locomotive took 60 days (480 hours) to refurbish, while each wagon required 25 days (200 hours). The overhaul has extended the service life of the locomotives by three years and the wagons by ten years.
The refurbished rolling stock will be dedicated to transporting ZIMASCO’s mineral commodities, mainly chrome and ferrochrome.
The programme also included wheel profiling, a process that improves the durability, reliability and safety of the rolling stock.
Source: ZIMASCO injects US$2.5 million into NRZ ⋆ Pindula News
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