Train travel on the cards for commuters
Namibia may soon offer a safe and reliable mode of transport on popular routes such as between central Windhoek and Katutura, Windhoek and Rehoboth and Windhoek and Okahandja.Director of railway infrastructure management in the ministry of works and transport, Robert Kalomho said on Tuesday this follows a feasibility study to determine the financial viability of these routes as a railway.
The Commuter Rail Transport project is one of many presented to potential investors at the Invest in Namibia Conference held in November last year. Kalomho said the envisioned project needs several stages of planning before it can be implemented. “After due consideration, the ministry may proceed with the detailed engineering design, secure funding and hopefully implement the works.”
He said the choice of railway transport between the said routes was born out of a multitude of factors such as the projected population growth within the capital city; the increase of traffic from the nearby towns and traffic congestion within the city; and vehicle accidents on the national roads.
Kalomho said it was necessary to explore affordable options that would alleviate many of the problems experienced by the dependency on vehicle transport and said it would also create employment and stimulate economic development. (NAMPA)