The data was presented by the President of the Executive Board (PCA) of the company, António Coelho da Cruz, who despite not advancing the amounts collected, referred to the growing demand from the international market, taking into account the business opportunities in the mining sector.
The person in charge was speaking during a day to revitalize the process of transporting and exporting iron and ornamental rocks in the southern region of the country, which took place this Wednesday in the city of Menongue (Cuando Cubango).
He also made it known that, in the same period of time, CFM trains transported 480,000 passengers.
However, he announced that the company plans to receive - in the first quarter of next year - 40 carriages and 20 wagons from South Africa, which should increase annual freight transport to between 500 and 600,000 tonnes and passenger transport for a billion people.
Cited by Angop, António Coelho da Cruz also announced the increase of four weekly frequencies of CFM trains between Lubango and Monongue and vice versa, as well as the entry into operation of an 'express' train. "As soon as we increase our capacity, we will also increase a second frequency of the express train, according to passenger demand," he stated.
The Moçâmedes Railway's plans for next year also include, from February onwards, the provision of a suburban train that will connect Menongue to Cuchi. This train's main purpose will be to transport workers from the Companhia Siderúrgica do Cuchi pig iron factory. It is estimated that around 600 workers need this means to get to work every day.
Regarding the raw material produced at the factory, he informed that three frequencies of pig iron trains and two wooden trains are being transported weekly, bound for the Port of Namibe. He also highlighted that, depending on the availability of locomotives, the plans include an increase in frequencies in the short term.
Coelho da Cruz left open the CFM's biggest challenge for next year: the connection to Zambia through Cuando Cubango, with the aim of increasing the free movement of people and goods and boosting trade between the two countries.
