The Vital Importance of Commuter Rail Networks

The following is an interview by Railways Africa Magazine with Bradley Ferreira Managing Director of SkyGro Industries and Lead Project Manager of the Trans Auas Express of Namibia. Discussed is the commuter railway from the outlying town of Rehoboth to Windhoek. Windhoek is the capital city of Namibia and Rehoboth is 80 km due south with a population of around 30,000 people. There are few employment opportunities in Rehoboth which forces the daily commute to Windhoek. Seriously high numbers of people are killed each year making this journey by road.

For decades the rehabilitation of the existing rail lines has been on the table but there is yet to be any concrete government commitment.

This commuter railway in Namibia is a case in point for all railway development given that at this moment in history we are witnessing the transformation of the continent`s infrastructure with mega projects like the African Integrated High Speed Railway Network, (AIHSRN).

The principle of infrastructure is that it brings a qualitative change to people`s lives and that qualitative change is what drives the overall economy forward.

As stated by Bradley Ferreira in the adjoining article to his interview on Railways Africa Magazine :

“We are proud citizens of our country who have the interests of our people and our economy at heart. With investment interest on hand, Trans Auas Express has no doubt that this project will be beneficial to the country, its people and the economy. With all this pertinent and critical information, it is surprising that this project is not getting the necessary attention it deserves. Our hope is that this project will finally come to fruition in 2021, after more than two decades of investing resources.”

Video Source: Railways Africa Magazine