Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Works and Supply predicts better railways

THE Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Works and Supply says the cancellation of Zambia Railways concession has the capacity to improve the company to international standards.
The Zambia Railways was concessioned to Railway Systems of Zambia but the agreement was cancelled soon after the Patriotic Front (PF) Government came to power.
Committee chairperson Kapembwa Simbao said the team and contractor working on the railway lines in the country, which was run down during the concession period, were capable of doing a good job.
Mr Simbao was speaking in Kitwe on Friday when a team from the Parliamentary Committee consisting of various Members of Parliament toured the railway facilities in Kitwe.
He said there were a lot of challenges at ZR as most of the railway line and facilities were badly damaged and vandalised.
“The railway line is very bad and the infrastructure is equally bad but the good part is that ZR is back in Zambian hands and they want to show the nation that they can do things towards the rehabilitation of the lines,” Mr Simbao said.
He said the team rehabilitating the railway lines had even gone outside the country to see how other railway lines were done in order to provide international railway lines in the country.
Mr Simbao, who is Senga Hill Member of Parliament (MP) also encouraged business houses and people to consider using railways when transporting their goods as it was much cheaper than by road.
He appealed to Zambians to stop vandalising the railway lines in the country.