The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has blamed a communication failure within the rail network for the collision involving a luxury tourist train near Gwanda on 18 April 2025.
The accident occurred when a Rovos Rail luxury passenger train and a freight train operated by Bulawayo-Beitbridge Railway (BBR) collided, leaving several crew members and passengers injured.
Speaking on This Morning on Asakhe, an X Spaces current affairs programme by CITEZW, NRZ spokesperson Andrew Kunambura said that preliminary investigations pointed to a lapse in operational coordination. Said Kunambura:
The investigation revealed that a BBR goods train was mistakenly allowed onto the line while the Rovos Rail train, which had derailed earlier, was awaiting rescue. This miscommunication led directly to the collision.
While the luxury train remained stationary following the earlier derailment of a rail roof component, the incoming freight train was mistakenly cleared to proceed, an error Kunambura attributed to a breakdown in communication protocol. He said:
This is the first incident involving two trains in over two decades. The last major collision of this kind was in 2003. That speaks volumes about the general safety and reliability of our systems
Days later, a separate incident saw a coal train transporting fuel to Zambia catch fire in the Hwange area of Matabeleland North Province. The blaze, which erupted between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, was traced to a faulty fuel tank.
Kunambura expressed the NRZ’s growing concern over accidents involving the public, particularly at level crossings and near tracks in urban areas. He said:
One of our biggest safety challenges remains the interaction between trains and motorists at level crossings.
Too often, drivers underestimate the speed of an oncoming train and try to beat it across the tracks, with tragic results.
Kunambura also pointed out the dangers of pedestrians wearing earphones near train tracks, recalling a tragic incident in Rusape where a young jogger, unable to hear an approaching train, was fatally struck.
He stressed the need for greater public awareness and urged both motorists and pedestrians to follow railway safety rules.
According to him, NRZ has ramped up education campaigns nationwide to help curb such accidents. Added Kunambura:
Trains cannot stop as easily as cars. Once a driver sees someone on the tracks, it’s often already too late.
More: CITEZW
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