WINDHOEK, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Namibia will study the feasibility of the Southern African Development Community's high speed railway line, Namibia's Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) said on Saturday.
The regional railway line connecting Walvis Bay, Windhoek, Gaborone, and Pretoria was selected as one of the two regional high-speed railway projects as part of the first 10-year implementation plan of the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063.
A detailed feasibility, design and engineering study will be conducted during 2020 and 2021 to ensure the project is bankable, said WBCG project manager Gilbert Boois.
"It is envisaged that a transaction advisor will be appointed in 2022 to ensure the project reaches a financial close," he said.
As construction should commence in 2023, Boois said the railway was expected to unlock the economic potential of Namibia's logistics.
"It will further stimulate a much-needed industrial value chain development of key growth nodes along the Trans Kalahari Corridor."
WBCG is a public-private partnership established to promote the utilization of the Walvis Bay Corridors, a transport network mainly comprised of the Port of Walvis Bay, the Trans-Kalahari Corridor, the Trans-Caprivi Corridor, the Trans-Cunene Corridor, and the Trans-Oranje Corridor.
