According to the National Statistics Institute, rail transport passengers numbers have increased 62.28% over the same period in 2021.
- More and more people have opted for rail transport in the last six months – due to the current cost of living, users say.
- Caminhos-de-Ferro de Moçambique (Mozambique Railways – CFM) plans to mobilise more than 50 extra carriages to meet demand.
For two years, CFM had to restrict its passenger transport activities because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, CFM registered an average of 14,000 passengers per day. That number has now risen to 16,000.
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Why has there been such an increase in passengers?
“Due to the cost of living nowadays, paying the ‘chapa’ is very difficult, that’s why we use the train a lot,” explains Cifa Mondlane, a domestic worker.
“My salary is not enough for me to take semi-public transport – the train is cheaper,” echoes José Luís, a driver for a private company.
“To avoid congestion, I think it’s more affordable and faster,” Osvaldo Simango agrees.
According to the National Statistics Institute, rail transport passengers numbers have increased 62.28% over the same period in 2021.
“We are considering seated passengers, but there is also some percentage of commuters who travel standing. Per minute, more than 120 to 150 passengers embark at Maputo central railway station. We have noticed great demand, especially when in-person classes started again,” CFM engineer Iara Popinsky explained.
That number includes Macimba Nebo, a student at Escola Francisco Manyanga, who has been taking the train since the beginning of the school year. “I’m usually not late and the price is low,” he explains. “On normal semi-collective transport, I pay 24 meticais, but the train is only 13 meticais.”
But it’s not just the price of road transport that makes people take the train. Nebo remarks on some other disadvantages of road transport. “First, I have to queue for a long time in Xiquelene. And the collectors also have this habit of making interviews – which just adds to the delay,” he complains.
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Isac Simango also did the maths and decided that the railway was the best option. “Taking the train is more affordable than the ‘chapa’. I spend 70 meticais a day by train.” he says.
Greater demand has necessitated adding carriages on some routes. “For Matola-Gare, Ressano Garcia, Goba, Manhiça, Chókwè, we had this increase in places offered; for example, for Ressano Garcia we had 12 carriages and we added three that is, we now have 15 carriages with a capacity of 150 seats,” CFM engineer Iara Popinsky detailed.
To respond to the growing passenger demand, the CFM is to acquire an additional 50 carriages this year for use in Maputo city.
