TransNamib

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TransNamib
State companies ,
ministries and institutions in Namibia
Designation: TransNamib Holdings Limited
State level: State company
Founding: 1895
Employee: 1802 (2013)
Turnover or
budget / budget : 		N $ 527 million (2013)
Profit: N $ −194 million (2013)
Highest office: executive Director
Officials: Johny Smith (since February 1, 2018)
Headquarters: Windhoek
Superordinate position: Ministry of State Enterprises
Homepage: www.transnamib.com.na
TransNamib logo until the end of April 2019

TransNamib is Namibia's railway company . It has operated the local rail network since the country became independent. Since July 1, 1993, the company has also been running the TransNamib Museum in Windhoek . Their service includes not only rail, but also road transport and port services. It aims at a complete offer in national logistics.

In September 2014, TransNamib announced a reversal strategy to absorb the immense losses. As part of this, it was announced at the beginning of 2015 that 1,000 of the 1,600 employees were to be made redundant, which the union firmly rejected.

In April 2019, a new 5-year plan including a new public image was presented. In addition, from now on the company will only concentrate on freight and passenger transport by rail and will no longer act as an all-encompassing logistics company .

Route network

TransNamib headquarters in Windhoek
TransNamib train south of Keetmanshoop (the Karas Mountains in the background )

The rail network consists of 1067 mm gauge ( Cape gauge ), covers 2687 kilometers and connects all major towns in Namibia. Its basic structure dates back to the colonial era, but has been continuously modernized. Since the beginning of the 2000s, large parts of the network have increasingly fallen into disrepair and have been extensively replaced and repaired and new lines built since the beginning of 2010.

The first railway was built in 1895 for operational purposes by the Damaraland Guano Company . The first 383-kilometer route from Swakopmund to Windhoek was inaugurated on June 19, 1902.

traffic

Freight transport

Freight train stuck in the sand between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay World icon

The railway plays a role, especially in the transport of goods. The following routes were and are partly operated in freight traffic:

passenger traffic

Rail transport plays a very subordinate role in passenger transport in the country. Each route is driven at most once a day and the journeys usually take place overnight, so that the offer is not particularly attractive for tourists. Passenger cars have been renovated and rebuilt since 1994 . The passenger transport division of the Namibian Railway operates under the name "StarLine Passenger Services". There are both sleeping cars (not daily and on all routes) and open- plan cars in two classes (economy, business). They each offer four seats next to each other and a central aisle or six beds in partly private compartments . Toilets and vending machines are available, as well as a limited entertainment program and some air conditioning .

The following routes are operated by the "StarLine Passenger Services": (as of April 2015)

Desert Express

The flagship on the Namibian railway network is the Desert Express , a luxury train for tourists that ran once a week between Windhoek and Swakopmund until 2017 . On August 23, 2019, operations resumed at a two-week cycle and should be maintained until at least March 2020. [outdated]

Also Rovos Rail with the Shongololo Express and Blue Train of South Africa offer several times a year Railway cruises through Namibia.

Omugulugwombashe Star

In March 2005, the " Omugulugwombashe Star" built in China was put into service; a new, ultra-modern train that reaches a speed of 120 kilometers per hour and can accommodate 142 passengers. It has flat screens for video and air conditioning. The train was originally intended as an airport shuttle from Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport , but was used for a short time on the Windhoek – Walvis Bay route and from 2007 onwards served the route between Windhoek and Ondangwa once a week . In the first few months on the route to Ondangwa, it was relatively popular. Regular operations were finally completely discontinued in 2008 because the train was not designed for Namibian conditions and technical and mechanical problems were constantly occurring. In March 2011 the train was repaired and should be used again. As of 2013, this was not in operation again.

vehicles

GE U20C GE 36571 of TransNamib at Keetmanshoop (2011)
TransNamib trolley at Simplon

Since the beginning of 2009, all 45 TransNamib locomotives have been overhauled for the equivalent of around 20 million euros . As of July 2010, TransNamib has 69 locomotives of which 49 are in service. In 2015, TransNamib ordered six more GE Transportation locomotives.

Web links

Commons : TransNamib  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 9/26/2014 News in the evening. Hitradio Namibia, September 26, 2014 ( memento from January 18, 2015 in the web archive archive.today ) accessed on January 14, 2015
  2. ↑ 01/14/2015 News in the morning. Hitradio Namibia, January 14, 2015 ( memento from January 18, 2015 in the web archive archive.today ) accessed on January 14, 2015
  3. ↑ Mutorwa says TransNamib will double its volumes in five years. Namibia Press Agency, April 25, 2019.
  4. ^ Rail history and distribution network. (No longer available online.) TransNamib Holdings Limited, 2017, archived from the original on January 22, 2018 ; accessed on January 21, 2018 (English).
  5. ^ Traveller's Reports on TransNamib Starline
  6. ↑ StarLine Passanger Services. TransNamib, 2015
  7. ^ Desert Express. Namibia Reservations, accessed on July 27, 2019 (English).
  8. ↑ Desert Express 2019 - A journey to remember. Namibia Adventures, August 27, 2019, accessed on September 1, 2019 .
  9. ↑ Namibia's Chinese Locomotives, Railways Africa, July 27, 2009
  10. ^ Well frequented prestige train, Allgemeine Zeitung, September 13, 2006
  11. ↑ Chinese Rails for Oshikango Railway, The Namibian, November 13, 2009 ( Memento of June 7, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  12. ↑ TransNamib: Much fuss about everyday purchases, Allgemeine Zeitung, April 1, 2011 ( Memento of November 22, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  13. ^ Long Wait for the Trains to North. Windhoek Observer, December 5, 2013.
  14. ↑ Transnamib Loco Refurbishing, Railways Africa, May 28, 2009
  15. ↑ Repairing the railway network for the time being, Allgemeine Zeitung, July 13, 2010
  16. ^ TransNamib orders GE locomotives. Railway Gazette International , September 14, 2015, accessed January 21, 2018 .