Data from the state-owned company Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM) reveal that more than 5.5 million people used rail transport in Mozambique in 2022, an increase of 81% over the previous year due to the relief of covid-19 prevention measures.
According to CFM’s 2022 report and accounts, cited by the Lusa agency, the movement in rail transport amounted to 5.5 million passengers last year, 98% of the administration’s forecast.
This was an increase of 81% compared to the movement in 2021, justified by the investments made that reinforced the transport capacity in the south and center of the country.
According to CFM’s report and accounts, Mozambique’s rail network transported a total of 24.6 million gross tons of cargo in 2022, an increase of 30% compared to 2021.
“The port terminals under CFM management handled 13.21 million tons during the 2022 financial year, an increase of around 6% compared to 2021, as a result of the new investments that have been made,” the company said in its report.
CFM explains that “despite the negative factors that characterized the first months of 2022, such as cyclones, incidents of rail derailments, moderate supply of rail cargo and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, 7.9 billion meticais (112.2 million euros) were invested in rail-port projects to revitalize and renew assets “.
It should be recalled that, just this week, the Indian press reported that the state-owned company Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) submitted the lowest bid, valued at 61 million dollars, in the tender launched by CFM for the acquisition of ten new locomotives and 150 wagons.
The administration also said that CFM presented a positive pre-tax result of around 4.1 billion meticais (57.5 million euros) in 2022.
