NRZ Salvages Ferrochrome After Odzi Train Derailment

NRZ confirms successful salvage of export ferrochrome after the Odzi derailment and says rail line repairs are underway, with traffic expected to resume by Saturday (image source)

The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has confirmed the successful recovery of export ferrochrome from wagons involved in Wednesday’s train derailment at Odzi in Mutare, minimising cargo losses along a key freight route.

In a statement, NRZ said salvage operations were completed by midday on 29 January. Later that afternoon, a train carrying ballast and fines arrived at the site, allowing immediate repairs to begin on the damaged section of track. Replacement rails, sleepers and other materials were already on site, with realignment works underway.

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The rail operator reported that it was on schedule to reopen the line to traffic by Saturday afternoon, restoring movement in both directions. NRZ apologised to customers and stakeholders for the disruption and said efforts were focused on resuming normal service as quickly as possible.

The derailment temporarily interrupted freight operations on an important export corridor, but NRZ said its recovery teams moved swiftly to secure cargo and stabilise the site. The incident once again underscores the pressures facing Zimbabwe’s rail network, which continues to contend with ageing infrastructure and years of underinvestment.

For ferrochrome producers, the salvage is particularly significant. Ferrochrome is a major export used in stainless steel production and a key source of foreign currency earnings, making the protection and timely movement of such cargo critical to the mining and export value chain.