BR moves to revive Blue Train
Pauline Dikuelo | Wednesday August 6, 2025 11:56
Equally, a concept paper is currently being developed, and the selection of an appropriate operational model is expected by the end of the financial year, Parliament was told last week. The Minister of Transport and Public Infrastructure, Noah Salakae, stated that the two prerequisites would inform the direction towards bringing back the Blue Train. “Both the viability of the route and the timelines for implementation will be determined only after a suitable operator and operational model have been confirmed,” he told legislators.
In March 2024, the state-owned rail utility floated a public notice inviting private entities to express interest in operating the passenger train service, popularly known as the Blue Train. At the time, the BR specified that the EOI was exclusively reserved for citizen-owned companies, although no further details were provided on the nature of the prospective partnership model. The Blue Train, which had become a vital mode of transport for many citizens, was suspended in January 2020 due to mounting financial losses and has remained out of service since.
The reintroduction of the once-popular public daily rail transport between Francistown and Lobatse hinges on the outcome of the current process. Similarly, plans to revive daily morning and afternoon commuter trains servicing Lobatse, Gaborone, and Pilane-Gaborone will depend on the completion of the same framework. As such, cost estimations and project timeframes remain uncertain pending final decisions on the business model. He said these developments form part of broader efforts by the Ministry of Transport and Public Infrastructure to modernise the country’s transport sector. Meanwhile, Statistics Botswana’s latest figures have revealed that Botswana’s rail transport sector recorded a revenue increase in the fourth quarter of 2024, generating a total of P65.5 million from the transportation of goods, a five percent rise from the previous quarter. October emerged as the most profitable month, contributing P23.9 million (36.6%) of the quarter‘s total revenue. November followed closely with 34.1 percent, while December contributed the remaining 29.4%. Revenue from imports played a key role, making up 23.2% of the total revenue.
Meanwhile, the transportation of exports accounted for 33.1 percent, indicating the continued importance of cross-border rail trade to Botswana’s logistics sector. Alongside revenue growth, the volume of goods transported by rail also saw a modest increase of 3.7 percent, rising from 249,877 tonnes in the third quarter to 259,160 tonnes in the fourth quarter. Imports and exports represented 28.5% and 32.6% of this volume, respectively. Goods originating from Botswana, including imports, accounted for 84.4% of total rail cargo.