CR20 completes key Malawi railway bridge

China Railway 20th Bureau Group (CR20) has completed the longest bridge on the 72-km railway line from Marka, near Mozambique, to Bangula in Malawi’s Nsanje district. The project was marked by the placement of a 20.6-metre precast T-beam, weighing 38 metric tons.

The railway, under reconstruction since January 2023, will feature 20 new bridges, 40 tunnels, 121 culverts, and 4 stations. Completion is expected by October 2025. This railway aims to enhance passenger and goods exchange between Zambia and the port of Beira, Mozambique, facilitating cross-border trade of minerals, agricultural products, and other resources.

Ru Hong, director of the Engineering Management Department at CR20, highlighted the project’s significance in achieving rail interoperability between Malawi and Mozambique, boosting Malawi’s access to global markets.

Notably, the original railway, destroyed by floods in 1997, is being revived to support regional trade and transport for landlocked countries in southern Africa.

Attribution: Xinhua