Botswana Railways (BR) CEO, Dominic Ntwaagae said the on-going re-fleeting programme comes courtesy of the initial P300 million boost from government as part of the parastatal's 2006 turnaround strategy. The parastatal's shopping list includes 204 high-sided wagons, 34 coal hoppers and 34 down-sided wagons, designed to both replenish its lean fleet and meet the demands of coal producers eager to tap into export markets. Other items are 290 salt wagons of which 160 have already been supplied by a subsidiary of the South African parastatal, Transnet.
Prior to the re-fleeting, Botswana Railways (BR) had 34 locomotives and 920 wagons. Last December, the new salt wagons completed their inaugural delivery of chemical grade salt from Sua Pan in Botswana to Sasolburg in South Africa.Ntwaagae said the parastatal has secured a three-year Rail Safety Regulator Licence enabling it to cross into Transnet Freight Rail lines in South Africa. Last year, a shipment of soda ash was returned at the South African border, as Botswana Railways did not meet the required standards to operate its wagons in South Africa.
