An agreement between Botswana and Namibia has been signed paving the way for a 1 500 kilometre long railway line to be built.

This railway line will traverse the Kalahari desert connecting land-locked Botswana with Namibia’s port of Walvis Bay. The aim of this line is to transport coal from Botswana.

The railway line mirrors the existing Trans-Kalahari Highway or corridor, which links Botswana to the port of Walvis Bay. It is envisaged that this Trans-Kalahari railway agreement will also benefit other landlocked Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries like Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe by providing an alternative transportation route.

Construction of the project is expected to cost approximately N$100 billion (about US$9.2 billion). Financing will be sourced through private stakeholders.