Maputo Station April 2011

[Chris Janisch]

During the week before Easter our family enjoyed a great cruise on the "Synphonia" hotel on water, from Durbs to Maputo and Inhambane.
It was a most exhausting trip chasing kids around the ship and engaging in nonstop activities. Somewhat out of breath and out of pocket we headed down the South Coast afterwards for some R&R over Easter!
The ship berths right opposite the Maputo station for the day, enabling pax to disembark and explore the city. By all accounts there is little to see, the town being very run-down and full of beggars. My family enquired whether there had been a war recently as there were many shelled and burnt buildings. I replied that there had indeed been one but that had ended about 10 years ago! I elected to have a quiet morning on board, and headed for the station in the afternoon once the excitement amongst the locals had subsided.
There were tour groups on the station so I listened and wandered around a little. There are 2 preserved locos on the platform, and a new museum under construction on an island platform. Nice shops and a restaurant are also in residence. It seems that there is a good awareness of rail heritage here despite the lack of funds.The station is generally neat but there is the inevitable feel of decay in the air. Rolling stock is all rather decrepit and liveries faded. Coaches are being repaired in the old steam loco depot near the station and come out in a green livery. There are still many dirty brown coaches in use. Traffic is quiet, with 3 pass trains departing in the morning and 3 arriving in the late afternoon. There was a diesel shunter on duty all day and it seemed fairly busy. There was no shunting into the harbour although the tracks seem used. I walked the yards and was not accosted by any AK47-toting folk although several were spotted lurking nearby. Staff all were friendly and helpful.
Here are some shots from the day..

[peterbagshawe]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the most interesting photos, your ship provided an excellent view point.

With regard to the ex Botswana Railway coaches, you state that they were a gift by Botswana to Mocambique. This is news to me, and I would be grateful for confirmation. After BR withdrew their passenger services (they actually used the word "suspend", but made sure it was permanent by getting rid of the coaches) 45 coaches were put on tender, closing date August 2009. My next news of the coaches was an observation of "lots" of them in Maputo Station in April 2010. I presumed that CFM had been a successful tenderer, but, if you are correct, they possibly received no tenders and so gave them away. By April 2010 some of them had already been overhauled by CFM and repainted in a green and cream livery. Refer your photo of the NRZ DE10A in the station.

The loco on the passenger train was an ex Indian Railways YDM4, and the shunter looks like a GE U10B. According to Railways of Southern Africa Locomotive Guide, the latter were all based at Beira. Did you get the loco numbers by any chance? The railcar is by Hitachi, and it is thought it may be reserved for the Museum.

Peter Bagshawe