Zimbabwe’s mining sector could benefit from increased rail capacity as the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) seeks US$115 million to acquire locomotives and wagons, potentially easing transport bottlenecks facing producers of lithium, chrome, coal and ferrochrome. Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Ryan Chigoche
The funding, being negotiated by the Mutapa Investment Fund with Afreximbank, will finance 10 locomotives, 315 wagons and the rehabilitation of critical railway infrastructure as NRZ moves to rebuild its freight capacity.
The intervention comes as Zimbabwe pushes to increase mineral production while mining companies continue to rely heavily on road transport to move bulk commodities to processing facilities and export routes.
NRZ moved about 2.03 million tonnes of freight in 2025, down sharply from 12.4 million tonnes in 1998, highlighting the extent of capacity lost through years of underinvestment and ageing equipment.
The railway is targeting about 3.01 million tonnes of freight this year and 12 million tonnes by 2030, a trajectory that would require a significant increase in the availability and utilisation of locomotives and wagons.
For the mining industry, improved rail capacity could provide a more reliable option for transporting large volumes of minerals over long distances while reducing some of the pressure currently placed on the road network.
Zimbabwe’s expanding lithium, chrome, coal and ferrochrome industries provide a significant potential source of bulk freight for NRZ, particularly as producers increase output and processing capacity.
The railway’s decline has left mining companies and other bulk cargo users increasingly dependent on trucks, adding to logistics costs and placing greater pressure on major road corridors.
NRZ has already begun working with mining companies to restore capacity.
Under a partnership with ferrochrome producer Zimasco, three refurbished locomotives and 100 wagons have been commissioned, while leased Sheltam locomotives are also being used to address immediate traction shortages.
The Zimasco arrangement could provide a model for greater participation by large mining companies in railway capacity, particularly where producers can support dedicated rolling stock or commit cargo through long-term rail contracts.
However, the US$115 million facility is only part of the wider capital required to restore NRZ’s network.
Government has also been discussing a roughly US$600 million rehabilitation programme with China Railway International Group covering tracks, signalling, rolling stock and broader railway infrastructure.
The condition of the network remains critical because additional locomotives and wagons alone cannot deliver higher freight volumes if trains continue to face infrastructure restrictions, slow turnaround times and limited track capacity.
Zimbabwe’s regional position also gives NRZ an opportunity to capture mineral freight moving between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo and ports in South Africa and Mozambique.
For the mining sector, reliable access to these corridors could become increasingly important as mineral production expands and producers seek to manage the cost of moving bulk commodities to export markets.
The scale of the recovery required is significant. Reaching 12 million tonnes by 2030 would mean adding almost 10 million tonnes of annual freight from the 2025 base.
The success of the rail investment will therefore be measured not only by the number of locomotives and wagons acquired, but by whether the additional capacity translates into higher freight volumes, faster wagon turnaround and more reliable service for mining customers.
With Zimbabwe targeting further growth in mineral production, the rehabilitation of NRZ could become an important part of the infrastructure required to support the sector’s expansion.
