The Sunday Mail
Tendai Chara
Using the rail system used to be the preferred mode of transport back in the day.
Travelling by rail recently proved to be a real nightmare for this reporter, an experience that one would never forget for all the wrong reasons.
Following the recent tragic accident in which two train drivers and their assistants lost their lives when goods trains clashed head on in Melfort, The Sunday Mail Extra set on an unpredictable journey.
Being a Sunday, the streets of Harare were practically deserted save for the city’s Central Business District, where troops of mostly upstart preachers and street people roamed.
This reporter’s task was as simple as any other tasks — to unmask the rot at the NRZ.
Arriving at the Harare Central Rail Station at approximately 7pm, this reporter was subjected to a lengthy and prolonged wait in which the most dedicated citizens would tolerate.
Born and bred in the Eastern Highlands city of Mutare, this reporter often travelled in the early 80s and late 90s, to and from the provincial capital to Harare using the-then most preferred mode of transport — rail.
Harare Central Rail station resembled a ghost town as the area reserved for those waiting to take a ride to either Harare, Mutare, Chinhoyi and Bindura was practically deserted.
After enquiring on the fare — which is $8 for a one-way economy ride to Bulawayo, this reporter hopped into the economy class apartment in which vagrants, vendors and other passengers all scrambled to get the ride that would bring them closer to home and family.
Only a few passengers occupied the dimly light three economy class carriages. Without running water and basic amenities, the coaches resembled a prison cell. It is in this section that the NRZ’s fall to grace story is easily discernable.
An unpaid NRZ worker, who was on his way to Gweru, chronicled the challenges befalling the public utility.
“For the past 13 months, we are yet to get our salaries. The signals are not functioning and we are here by the grace of God,” said the worker who requested anonymity.
The Standard and Sleeper sections were virtually empty and a head count in the Sleeper section revealed only three occupants.
Nosizo Ndlovu, one of the occupants of the Sleeper section, explained why she prefers travelling in this section.
“Using rail is not the best of options. It is, however, cheaper to use rail as opposed to other systems. The local rail system is in a dysfunctional state and this is really worrying. I don’t even know when I am going to arrive in Bulawayo but I have no choice,” Ndlovu said.
Travelling to Bulawayo was a largely dull experience as only a few passengers hopped onto the coaches. The majority of those using the rail system are from mining and farming towns such as Chegutu, Shangani, Gwaai and others.
Unlike in the past when multitudes of passengers often boarded the train, only a few food vendors are now calling the rail station their workplace.
“Who do you think I will sell the goods to? We used to have multitudes of passengers but that is now history,” said a vendor who identified himself as Mthulisi Moyo.
Expected arrival time for the Harare to Mutare rail system is 6am, the same as the return route. However, the service is not reliable and is sometimes delayed.
The train leaves Harare for Bulawayo every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday while it plies the return route on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Harare Central Rail station resembled a ghost town as the area reserved for those waiting to take a ride to either Harare, Mutare, Chinhoyi and Bindura was practically deserted. After enquiring on the fare — which is $8 for a one-way economy ride to Bulawayo, this reporter hopped into the economy class apartment in which vagrants, vendors and other passengers all scrambled to get the ride that would bring them closer to home and family.
