A new plan to open Mozambique’s national rail network to private fleets, alongside the revival of coastal shipping and proposals for new urban rail links in Maputo and Matola, mark a hopeful shift in government thinking: a greater willingness to work with private operators and investors to expand transport services and infrastructure.
The proposed railway regulation would allow private operators to use the national rail network with their own rolling stock, under licence, for passenger transport, freight and dangerous goods. This does not remove CFM from the centre of the system, but it does dilute its monopoly. That is a healthy development if it brings more rolling stock, better services, and more disciplined use of existing infrastructure.
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Mozambique is not alone in moving this way. South Africa is also opening parts of the Transnet network to private operators, after years of declining rail performance damaged exports and pushed more freight onto roads.
Beyond being an example for Mozambique, South Africa’s could also have a direct impact because some of the companies gaining access there already operate heavily in Mozambique. Grindrod, for example, is among the private operators selected for access to Transnet’s network and is also a major player in the Maputo corridor, including at Matola and Maputo. If Mozambique opens its own rail system properly, operators with regional logistics networks may be able to connect South African rail capacity more directly with Mozambican ports.
