Bulawayo, (New Ziana)-The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has temporarily closed the Harare–Mutare railway line following a major derailment at Odzi, near the eastern border city of Mutare on Tuesday.
In a statement on Wednesday, the rail operator said the derailment involved four wagons carrying ferrochrome destined for the Mozambican port city of Beira and was caused by track washaways resulting from heavy rains currently affecting large parts of the country.
“The NRZ informs its valued customers and stakeholders of the temporary closure of the Mutare–Harare line following a major derailment at Odzi. The derailment affected four wagons loaded with ferrochrome destined for the Port of Beira,” it said.
The closure has effectively cut off rail traffic between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, coming barely two weeks after the Chicualacuala–Maputo line was shut down due to flooding in Mozambique.
The NRZ warned that the disruption of the two key corridors will have a severe impact on regional trade.
“The closure of the two corridors will severely affect trade between the two countries, as well as transit traffic to Botswana and Zambia,” it said.
Railway experts say derailments and prolonged line closures carry significant costs for the economy, including delays in exports, increased logistics costs as cargo is diverted to road transport, and lost foreign currency earnings.
The country’s mining and manufacturing sectors, which rely heavily on rail for bulk cargo such as minerals and agricultural produce, are often hardest hit.
The NRZ said recovery operations are already underway at the Odzi site, with teams working to salvage the ferrochrome cargo, which fortunately did not spill during the incident.
“Recovery efforts are underway in Odzi, with teams now working on salvaging the ferrochrome. Thereafter, re-railing will begin following the realignment of the tracks,” it said, adding it expects the line to reopen by the weekend.
The latest derailment comes at a time when the NRZ is pushing to turn around its fortunes after years of infrastructure challenges, capacity constraints, and declining freight volumes.
The parastatal has recently intensified track rehabilitation works, equipment maintenance, and regional corridor restoration as part of efforts to improve reliability, boost cargo throughput, and reclaim business lost to road transport.
It has previously said restoring confidence among customers and improving operational efficiency remain central to its recovery strategy, particularly as the country seeks to strengthen export-led growth and regional integration.
New Ziana
