Goba railway,[1] also called Swaziland-Maputo railway and Matsapha-Maputo railway, is a railway that connects the city of Maputo, Mozambique, to the city from Matsapha, in Eswatini. It is 466.8km long, in a 1067 mm gauge.[2]
In 1902, the British administration of Eswatini signed a term of commitment with the Portuguese administration of Mozambique for the construction of a railway line that would depart from the port of Maputo, reaching Mbabane. The works started in 1903, but the Mozambican stretch until Goba was only opened in 1912. After reaching the border, the railroad did not go into the interior of the Eswatini, with the works paralyzing.[4]
In 1927, the Zululand railway (current Richards Bay railway), in the South African Union, reached Golela, on the southern border of Eswatini, but still did not reach the Swazi interior lands. The development of the Ngwenya Mine in the 1960s gave new impetus to the construction of railways at Eswatini. Between 1961 and 1964, the east-west line was built from Goba to Matsapha and then to Ngwenya. Mining in Ngwenya ceased in 1980 and the railway section between this city and Matsapha was abandoned.[5]
In 1986, the northern link was opened, connecting Komatipoort to Mpaka, providing a shorter and alternative route for freight and passenger traffic from Eswatini and East South Africa to the port of Richards Bay, breaking much of the traffic and cargo transported by the port of Maputo.[5]
Railway branches
The Goba railway has two important branches:
Salamanga branch: connects the village of Boane to the village of Salamanga.[6]
Railway maneuvering branch of Mpaka: in the city of Mpaka.
Railway connections
In Mpaka, the Goba line connects with the Komatipoort railway.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Goba_railway, and is written by contributors.
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