Copyright zimeye
By Business Reporter– A goods train carrying 450,000 litres of diesel from Mozambique was involved in an accident at Mpopoma Station in Bulawayo early Saturday morning, in what officials have described as a “runaway incident.” Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer, Mhlangano Moyo, confirmed the mishap, explaining that the locomotive had been parked after running out of fuel. However, the brakes reportedly failed during the night, causing the train to roll downhill and collide with a stationary locomotive at the Mpopoma Diesel Shed. “The train ran out of fuel and was left parked overnight. Unfortunately, it gained momentum after the brakes lost power and went straight into another parked locomotive, resulting in the accident,” said Moyo. He added that emergency crews were at the scene to prevent a potential fire disaster by draining the remaining fuel from the tankers and separating the damaged locomotives. “We are decanting the fuel and pushing the locomotives apart. The process is ongoing and will take some time. The locomotive was pulling about 450,000 litres of diesel,” Moyo added. No injuries were reported, though investigations are underway to establish the full cause of the incident. The accident has once again highlighted the deteriorating state of Zimbabwe’s rail infrastructure, which has suffered years of neglect, underfunding, and vandalism. The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), once a key player in the region’s freight network, now operates with a severely depleted fleet and outdated equipment. NRZ’s rail network spans about 2,760 kilometres, but less than 10 percent of its locomotives and wagons are currently serviceable, according to industry estimates. Many trains rely on ageing engines and braking systems dating back to the 1960s and 1970s, making them vulnerable to mechanical failures such as the one reported in Bulawayo. Freight volumes have plummeted from over 18 million tonnes in the late 1990s to under 3 million tonnes in recent years, largely due to obsolete infrastructure and competition from the road transport sector. A combination of vandalism of signaling equipment, theft of copper cables, and lack of investment in modern safety systems has left the network unsafe and inefficient. In 2023, the government announced a series of rehabilitation partnerships with private investors to modernize NRZ operations, including efforts to refurbish wagons and rehabilitate critical routes linking the country to Mozambique and South Africa. However, progress has been slow, and incidents like the Mpopoma crash expose the continuing safety risks facing rail workers and cargo alike. Rail experts have warned that without immediate investment in maintenance, modern signaling systems, and reliable braking technology, more “runaway” incidents could occur—particularly on steep gradients where trains are parked for long hours without adequate power or mechanical safety checks.
