ABSTRACT
Malawi is a landlocked country in South-Central Africa which ranks among the world’s least developed countries. The economy is predominantly based on agriculture and depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and individual donor nations. Because of poor reliability of rail infrastructure, import and export goods are mainly moved by road from/to neighbouring countries, with South Africa being the main partner. In particular, more than 95% of current freight is transported by road resulting in high transport costs as well as high negative impacts, such as pollution and car accidents. However, the Malawi Railway Network has the potential to be a vital asset for the entire southern region of Africa, as it is part of an international corridor connecting the Indian Ocean through the port of Nacala in Mozambique to the inner regions of the Continent. Indeed, besides Malawi, other landlocked countries like Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are extremely interested in finding a competitive outlet to lower the cost of import and export trades. Currently most exports from these countries are being transported by road over a distance of more than 3,400 km to Durban port in South Africa, instead of less than 2,000 km by rail to Nacala port passing through Malawi. This paper provides a brief description of the traffic forecast, the infrastructure design, the operation and maintenance action plans, the environmental and social impact assessment, the multicriteria analysis as well as the cost benefit analysis culminating in a feasibility study report which identifies an optimal investment solution for the rehabilitation of the Mchinji to Nkaya rail section. The study also highlights the strategic importance of the railway to support the fragile economy of Malawi and that of the neighbouring countries.
