President Lazarus Chakwera, who presided over the train’s arrival, described it as a “great milestone” for the country.

For the first time in forty years, Malawi has received a fuel train following the restoration of its railway line, which had long been in disrepair. On Wednesday, the train, which carried 1.2 million liters of fuel from Beira, Mozambique, arrived in Malawi’s southern region.

President Lazarus Chakwera, who officiated the train’s arrival, hailed it as a “great milestone” for the country. He emphasized that the train would significantly enhance Malawi’s socio-economic development.

“For 42 years, our railway lines were in ruins, and we had to rely on trucks to import fuel, a method that was costly. Today, we witness the arrival of the first fuel train in many years, thanks to the rehabilitation of the railway system,” Chakwera remarked. He also highlighted his government’s commitment to repairing infrastructure to improve living standards.

Economist Milward Tobias described the event as a “step in the right direction” for Malawi’s economy. He noted that the transition to rail transport is expected to bring about considerable savings in fuel transportation costs.

Since Malawi’s shift to a multi-party political system in 1993, previous administrations had neglected the railway network in favor of road transport for importing fuel from Mozambique and Tanzania.