Update on Upgrading of Walvis Bay to Kranzberg Line

[John Ashworth]

Update On The Upgrading Of The Railway Line Between Walvis Bay And Kranzberg

The project forms part of the Namibia Transport Infrastructure Improvement Project (NTIIP) co-financed by the African Development Bank, focusing on the priority interventions in the rail transport sub-sector for the Upgrading of the Walvis Bay to Kranzberg railway section...

The railway line between Walvis Bay and Kranzberg was divided into 2 sections of approximately 110km each... good progress has been made on both sections, but not without major challenges posed by nature and the logistics of working on an operational single line... Specifically, the “Oosweer”, where the wind blows from inland causing sandstorms near the coast, has posed huge challenges... This was specifically evident in the section behind the dunes between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay where the Contractor had to remove sand daily. In addition to work stoppages caused by poor visibility on some days...