TransNamib freight halted by rain
ELLANIE SMIT
WINDHOEK
Damage to railway lines in the southern parts of the country due to heavy rains has impacted TransNamib's ability to transport freight.
The company has already suspended all its passenger services and said it will inform the public once it is viable to resume these again.
TransNamib manager of corporate communications Abigail Raubenheimer confirmed to Namibian Sun that heavy rains in the south damaged several railway lines. The railway line between Ariamsvlei to Keetmanshoop has been damaged, while wash-aways occurred on the rail between Gawachab and Naute stations and also between Seeheim and Aus.
Raubenheimer said wash-aways also occurred on the rail between Goageb and Bucholzbrunn station and between Brukkaros and Asab, while the rail from Keetmanshoop to Mariental was also damaged.
“Given that repair work would be futile while the south is still expecting heavy rains, it would be premature of us to give a timeline of how long it will take to fix the railway line and the cost estimate involved.”
Extent of the damage
She said TransNamib is currently busy with inspection and assessing the extent of the damage and is continuously monitoring the situation. “We will only be able to give a true reflection of the impact to the company's revenue once all factors have been taken into consideration.” Meanwhile, the Roads Authority (RA) has warned road users that the tourist road C13 from Aussenkehr to Rosh Pinah has been temporarily closed due to flooding from the Fish River which crosses the road.
“Please do not attempt to cross the section where the river passes, it is extremely dangerous,” the RA said.
WINDHOEK
Damage to railway lines in the southern parts of the country due to heavy rains has impacted TransNamib's ability to transport freight.
The company has already suspended all its passenger services and said it will inform the public once it is viable to resume these again.
TransNamib manager of corporate communications Abigail Raubenheimer confirmed to Namibian Sun that heavy rains in the south damaged several railway lines. The railway line between Ariamsvlei to Keetmanshoop has been damaged, while wash-aways occurred on the rail between Gawachab and Naute stations and also between Seeheim and Aus.
Raubenheimer said wash-aways also occurred on the rail between Goageb and Bucholzbrunn station and between Brukkaros and Asab, while the rail from Keetmanshoop to Mariental was also damaged.
“Given that repair work would be futile while the south is still expecting heavy rains, it would be premature of us to give a timeline of how long it will take to fix the railway line and the cost estimate involved.”
Extent of the damage
She said TransNamib is currently busy with inspection and assessing the extent of the damage and is continuously monitoring the situation. “We will only be able to give a true reflection of the impact to the company's revenue once all factors have been taken into consideration.” Meanwhile, the Roads Authority (RA) has warned road users that the tourist road C13 from Aussenkehr to Rosh Pinah has been temporarily closed due to flooding from the Fish River which crosses the road.
“Please do not attempt to cross the section where the river passes, it is extremely dangerous,” the RA said.
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