REGIONAL APPROACH TO RAIL DEVELOPMENT BY KINGSTON MKANDAWIRE RAIL CONSULTANT LOAD CENTRE ENGINEERING

1.0 SYNOPYSIS CHANGES IN RAILWAY STRUCTURES IN THE REGION SINCE INDEPENDENCE DEFINITION OF RAIL DEVELOPMENT WHY REGIONAL APPROACH FUTURE RAIL DEVELOPMENTS CONCLUSIONS

2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 PRE INDEPENDENCE ERA RAILWAYS OWNED AND OPERATED BY GOVERNMENTS ON REGIONAL BASIS WITH SINGLE OPERATOR SAME COLONIAL POWER HENCE FEWER POLITICAL PROBLEMS

2.2 POST INDEPENDENCE ERA RAILWAYS OWNED AND OPERATED BY SEPARATE GOVTS POLITICAL INTERESTS INCREASED INVESTMENTS IN RAILWAYS HAD TO COMPETE WITH OTHER NATIONAL PROJECTS

PROBLEMS OF INTERCHANGE OPERATIONS MANPOWER LEVELS NOT TIED TO BUSINESS DEMANDS CUSTOMS CLEARING AT BORDERS

INVOICING COMPLICATIONS AS MANY NETWORKS BECAME INVOLVED RAIL CORRIDORS DIFFICULT TO MARKET BECAUSE OF DIFFERENT CONTROL POINTS NATIONAL INTERESTS GOT PRIORITY DELAYS IN GETTING RATES FROM DIFFERENT NATIONAL RAILWAYS LACK OF PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION LACK OF ACCESS TO PRIVATE CAPITAL

CONCESSIONED RAILWAY COMPANIES WITHIN NATIONAL BORDERS GREATER AUTONOMY AND FREEDOM FROM POLITICAL PRESSURES ACCESS TO PRIVATE FINANCE PRIVATE SECTOR MANAGEMENT CULTURE GOVERNMENT RETAINS OWNERSHIP

REDUCED OR ELIMINATION OF SUBSIDIES FROM GOVERNMENT MANPOWER LEVELS RELATE TO BUSINESS DEMANDS INTERCHANGE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST GOVERNMENT RETAIN OWNERSHIP

3.0 REGIONAL RAIL DEVELOPMENTS UPGRADING OF EXISTING NETWORK AND OPERATING SYSTEMS. NEW RAILWAY NETWORKS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS OF RAIL CORRIDORS

4.0 REGIONAL APPROACH REGIONS ARE BEING INTEGRATED eg:- EAC, SADC, COMESA LEGISLATURE NOW SUPPORTS BUSINESS FROM A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE EASIER ACCESS TO PRIVATE CAPITAL AND FUNDING AGENCES

5.0 BENEFITS OF REGIONAL APPROACH PRIVATE PARTICIPATION HAS INCREASED BETTER CONTROL OF TRAFFIC MOVEMENTS [eg:- RAILWAY SYSTEMS OF ZAMBIA (ZAMBIA TO BEIT BRIDGE), TAZARA (ZAMBIA TO DAR IN TANZANIA)]. POLITICAL INTERFERENCE MINIMISED NATIONAL INTERESTS NOT A PRIORITY AS OPERATIONS MAY BE OVER NATIONAL BOUNDARIES

REGIONAL INTEGRATION ENHANCED LESS INTERCHANGE REQUIREMENTS EASIER MARKETING OF CORRIDORS ACCESS TO PRIVATE CAPITAL

6.0 FUTURE RAIL DEVELOPMENTS EAST AFRICAN RAILWAYS MASTER PLAN DAR ES SALAAM-ISAKA-KIGALI-BUJUMBURA RAILWAY PROJECT LINKING OF TAZARA CORRIDOR TO MTWARA CORRIDOR CONSTRUCTION OF RAIL LINK FROM KASAMA (IN ZAMBIA) ON TAZARA TO MPULUNGU PORT ON LAKE TANGANYIKA

ANGOLA -NAMBIA RAILWAY CORRIDOR CONNECTION OF CHIPATA MCHINJI RAILWAY TO TAZARA

CONCLUSIONS ENHANCED REGIONAL INTEGRATION HAS REINFORCED THE NEED FOR RAILWAYS TO BE MANAGED BY PRIVATE COMPANIES OVER RAIL CORRIDORS. INCREASED ACCESS TO PRIVATE CAPITAL IN THE RAILWAY SECTOR. ENHANCED COMPETITION IN THE RAILWAY SECTOR IF CONCESSIONS ARE OFFERED ON CORRIDOR ROUTES. GOVTS MUST CONCESSIONAIRE INVESTS IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE

MOST OPPORTUNITIES OCCURRING IN RAIL DEVELOPMENTS ARE OF REGIONAL NATURE RESTRUCTURING OF EXISTING RAILWAY NETWORKS THROUGH CONCESSIONING OF RAIL CORRIDORS.