Amidst financial challenges, Namibia's national railway company, TransNamib, has demonstrated resilience, showcasing the enduring importance of railway transport in the country. 

Over the Christmas weekend, the company witnessed a notable surge in passenger numbers, underscoring the continued preference for rail travel.

Despite financial hurdles, TransNamib remains steadfast in providing essential freight and passenger services, playing a crucial role in connecting communities across Namibia.

The service reliability of TransNamib has been significantly affected by ageing and unreliable rolling stock.

Bertus Eksteen, TransNamib's Executive for Engineering and Technical Services, revealed this during a meeting with the Standing Committee on Economics and Public Accounts in Keetmanshoop.

For its daily freight operations, the state-owned railway utility necessitates a total of 34 locomotives. Typically, there are around 20 to 26 locomotives operational on any given day.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has called on Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi to release the report of Ernst & Young into the operations of TransNamib as well as responses by the board and management to the report.

The call comes after the report by the auditing firm allegedly revealed some procurement irregularities.

The report follows an independent investigation by Ernst and Young that commenced in 2021 after allegations and perceptions of poor governance and mismanagement at TransNamib.

TransNamib's Corporate Communications Manager, Abigail Raubenheimer, has confirmed the derailment of a cargo train carrying manganese to the harbor town of Luderitz on Thursday night.

The derailment occurred between Aus and Luderitz.

According to the statement, four staff members of TransNamib were onboard the train, which carried 20 wagons with manganese.

The derailment resulted in the deaths of two people who died on the scene, while the surviving staff members were transported to Luderitz, where they are receiving medical treatment.

A TransNamib train that was carrying 22 wagons of manganese was derailed this morning about 50 kilometers outside Luderitz in the ||Kharas Region.

TransNamib spokesperson Abigail Raubenheimer confirmed the derailment in a statement.

She said three employees of the parastatal who were on board sustained injuries and were taken for medical treatment.

Raubenheimer said TransNamib activated its emergency response plan and temporarily suspended train service operations on the affected railway line.

TransNamib on Thursday announced the resignation of its chief executive officer (CEO), Johny Smith, who joined the company five years ago.

In a media statement availed here on Thursday, TransNamib Board Chairperson Theo Mberirua explained that Smith’s five-year employment contract he signed in 2019 came to an end on January 31, 2023, and that the company offered him another five-year term, which he turned down.

"TransNamib will announce the way forward for the company before Smith’s official exit from the company on March 31 of this year," said the statement.

To lessen the burden on road transportation to international markets, TransNamib says it is hard at work to prepare and equip itself to be able to move more of the freight volumes on the railway. 

This was confirmed by TransNamib Chief Executive Officer, Johny Smith, following an assessment visit with the Minister of Works and Transport, John Mutorwa, on the railway infrastructure between Kalkfeld and Omaruru that forms part of the Walvis Bay and Northern Namibia linkage.

TransNamib held a workshop to discuss institutional reform for the railway sector and the future of the state-owned enterprise.

Last year, TransNamib carried out an institutional reform study to help guide the company on what it needs to do with the railway sector over the next 10 to 15 years.

The study looked at how the company can achieve the goals set under its Transport Infrastructure Improvement Project.