Zimbabwe United Passenger Company{ZUPCO} has partnered with the National Railways of Zimbabwe {NRZ} to ease transport problems for commuters.
The partnership comes after commuters have been spending hours at ranks because of the shortage of ZUPCO buses which are not able to meet the current demand by commuters.
Harare Bureau Commuter passenger rail service is expected to start in Harare today, with a similar arrangement set for Bulawayo soon.
Currently, Harare has three routes at peak periods along the main east-west railway line as Zupco and National Railways of Zimbabwe introduce rail coaches to ease congestion in and out of the city center to the eastern and western suburbs.
The Harare trains are scheduled to start carrying passengers this afternoon and the fare will be the same as those charged by Zupco buses and kombis on the same routes, $60 a trip. Zupco is planning feeder services from the suburban stations that passengers can use on the same ticket as the train, so there will be no extra charge for the final leg going home or the initial leg going to work.
Commuters had resorted to mshikashika and other illegal transport as a result of public transport deficit hence the recent development which sees passengers as well as operators fined had see more people resorting to legal public transport however the failure of Zupco to sustain the demand has brought about their partnership with NRZ.
According to the initial rail timetables issued by Zupco, the three rail services will run between the city centre and Ruwa, Tynwald and Mufakose.
The Tynwald route sees the railcar leaving Harare railway station at 5:45AM and arriving in Tynwald at 6:60AM with stops at Lever Brothers, Lochinvar, Kambuzuma and Warren Park. It leaves Tynwald on the return trip at 6:45AM and with the same stops arrives in the city centre at 7:30AM.
The afternoon service on this route, with the same stops, is a train leaving the city centre at 17:25 hours and arriving in Tynwald at 18:11 hours with the return service leaving Tynwald at 19:10 hours and arriving in the city centre at 19:50 hours.
The other western service is the city-Mufakose route. The morning service leaves Harare railway station at 5:15AM and after stopping at Lever Brothers, Lochinvar, Magandanga, Mufakose High and Torondo reaches Mufakose at 6:10AM. The return journey leaves Mufakose at 6:25AM and arrives in the city centre at 7:20AM.
The afternoon service leaves the city at 17:30 arriving in Mufakose at 18:15 while the return trip leaves at 18:30 and arrives in the city centre at 19:20.
The eastern route is the Ruwa-City service. This leaves Harare railway station at 5:30AM with stops at Hillside and Mabvuku before arriving in Ruwa at 6:25AM. It leaves that town at 6:40am and arrives in the city centre, with the same stops, at 7:35AM.
The afternoon service leaves the city at 17:20, arriving Ruwa at 18:30 and returns at 18:40 arriving in the city at 19:35. The Mabvuku stop is 15 minutes after leaving Ruwa or before Ruwa, depending on direction.
Meanwhile, Zupco chief executive officer Mr Evaristo Mudangwa said the passenger trains will be operating during peak hours in the morning and evening to ease congestion in the city centre.
“The advantage with this is that trains do not get affected by congestion and they can accommodate more people than buses and kombis,” he said.
