NRZ to improve passenger train services 

Source: NRZ to improve passenger train services – Sunday News January 28, 2018

Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
THE National Railways of Zimbabwe is set to revamp its passenger train services by improving on efficiency and hygiene as a way of luring back passengers who were shunning rail as a mode of transport.

The company used to run passenger train services between Bulawayo-Harare, Harare-Mutare, Bulawayo-Victoria Falls, Bulawayo-Mozambique and Bulawayo-Chiredzi but passengers have of late abandoned the rail transport mode mainly due to inefficiency.

NRZ public relations manager Mr Nyasha Maravanyika said as part of the company’s turn around programme, NRZ was putting measures to improve efficiency.

“We want to improve on efficiency of the passenger train, people need to arrive at their destinations on time. So we want to address that. Again we have been falling short in terms of on-board hygiene, this has made people shun the train,” he said.

Mr Maravanyika said rail transport was the most preferred mode of travel but over the years, people have abandoned trains due to deteriorating services. It cost $5 from Bulawayo to Harare, $4 from Harare to Mutare, $6 from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls while Bulawayo to Chiredzi cost $8 by train.

On the tourism side, Mr Maravanyika said the company was going to partner with the media to tell the story of tourists after they have experienced rail travel.

“We are going to engage the media to have some form of talk shows where tourists tell the world about their experiences on the packages that we will offer.

“We want to give them an opportunity to learn more about our country as they travel by rail or visit our museum,” he said.

Mr Maravanyika said the Bulawayo Railway Museum was one of its key tourists attractions. He said the museum was home to the Rhodes Coach which was a personal coach which still has crockery and other artefacts that Cecil John Rhodes used to travel in Zimbabwe in the 1890s.

Mr Maravanyika also said in addition to efforts to recapitalise the company, NRZ has partnered with the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society to construct a fan park where NRZ locomotives will be used to shuttle people around the exhibition centre.

The NRZ has diversified and moved from just carrying bulk goods and passengers to having tourist packages such as the steam excursions, which have been a favourite of many.

The Government has implored that the company needed to improve on its marketing strategies to remain relevant in the face of changing global trends.