Train Tourism Hinges On Reliable Infrastructure

A recent accident involving the luxury rail operator, Rovos Rail, has renewed attention to the state of Southern Africas rail infrastructure and how essential it is to the viability of high-value train tourism in the region.

On April 18, a Rovos Rail train en route to Victoria Falls was involved in a collision with a cargo train along the Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway BBR line, with 47 guests and 34 staff members on board. According to a Rovos Rail spokesperson, four people all of whom were crew members were treated for injuries.

The Zimbabwean government is currently investigating the cause of the collision and has committed to repairing the damaged railway infrastructure.

According to local Zimbabwean publications, the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi , alongside Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Judith Ncube , visited the accident scene on April 19.

Rwodzi said the government was committed to repairing the rail infrastructure as it was an essential tourism offering that contributed to Zimbabwes relations with neighbouring countries and international tourists.