JAMES KUNDA? –

ZAMBIA Railways Limited (ZRL) expects to review train fares after it has completed the refurbishment of coaches on the major routes, head of corporate affairs Benson Ngula has said.
Mr Ngula said in an interview that the company had already refurbished coaches for the Mulobezi Train and neared completion on the Luangwa train.?He said the company was currently charging K32 for the Mulobezi train that moves between Livingstone and Western Province and K32 on the Luangwa train moving between Livingstone and Kitwe.
“The company has invested heavily in the refurbishment of coaches on these two routes, that is why it is necessary that the fare structures are reviewed so that the company gets a fair return on the investment,” Mr Ngula said.
He said ZRL expects all coaches on the Luangwa route to be refurbished by the end of this month, after which the fair structures would be adjusted upwards in line with the profit targets set by the company.
“All the coaches on the Luangwa route just like the Mulobezi will be furnished with economic and business class facilities to give passengers a pleasant ride in improved time,” Mr Ngula said.
He said the company was expecting a fleet of 30 new coaches from South Africa to operationalise the express train from Livingstone to Chililabombwe at a cost of US$14 million.
Meanwhile, Mr Ngula says ZRL has made significant progress towards the refurbishment of the main railway line spanning between Livingstone and Chililabombwe.
He said the 32 contractors engaged to realign and reslipper the railway line had done commendable work that will enable the company to improve the current train speed by a margin spanning 50 kilometres per hour.