No passenger train this festive

Effective of 17 Decemebr

LETLHOGILE MPUANG

Commuters who had plans of using the BR Express Train between Lobatse and Gaborone this holiday season were dealt a blow yesterday (Monday) when Botswana Railways (BR) announced that Commuter Train Services between Lobatse and Gaborone has been temporarily suspended due to the main line derailment at Mokgosi

The commuter train, which introduced a daily train earlier this year has been responsible for giving commuters between Gaborone and Lobatse some breather from the heavy traffic congestion, which had worsened since the start Boatle-Game City road project.

BR yesterday (Monday) released a statement via their social media platforms to notify members of the public on the suspension of the train.

“Botswana Railways wishes to inform its valued customers and the general public that it has temporarily suspended Commuter Train Services between Lobatse and Gaborone from the 17th December until further notice due to the main line derailment at Mokgosi,”reads the statement.

The train has since its launch in 2016 attracted negative attention after it was alleged that they were corrupt practices in the purchase of the coaches from South Africa’s Transnet. Botswana Railways had bought second hand rail coaches which were manufactured by Transnet Engineering, a division of Transnet South Africa at a cost of P280 million.

The dealings between Transnet and BR would go onto to attract the attention of the Directorate of Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) and Directorate of Intelligence Security Services (DISS) who arrested some Botswana Railways executives and confiscated some files at their headquarters in Mahalapye on suspicion of corruption.