The government of Mozambique has taken a major step toward transforming its transport infrastructure with the creation of a dedicated office to oversee the development of a long-envisioned North–South railway corridor. The newly established North–South Railway Office (GLNS) will coordinate the planning, financing and implementation of what will become the country’s first railway line directly linking its northern and southern regions.
Approved by the Council of Ministers, the GLNS is mandated to manage the promotion and development of the project, which is expected to take between six and eight years to construct. Government spokesperson and Minister of State Administration, Inocencio Impissa, said the initiative will connect existing rail corridors through extensions and the construction of new track segments.
The primary objective of the project is to create an efficient transport link between key agricultural, industrial, mining and tourism hubs across the country. By improving domestic connectivity, the railway is expected to stimulate internal trade flows, reduce logistics costs and unlock underdeveloped productive regions. Impissa also highlighted the broader regional significance of the project, noting that it will strengthen Mozambique’s participation within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Mozambique’s rail infrastructure has historically been oriented east–west, designed largely to provide landlocked neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe and Malawi with access to Indian Ocean ports. One of the earliest rail lines, completed in 1896, linked the former Transvaal region to the port city of Maputo. However, no integrated north–south corridor has ever been developed to unify the country’s internal rail network.
The GLNS will begin by leveraging existing operational lines as anchor points, while new sections will target strategic production zones identified by the government. Its responsibilities include conducting feasibility studies, securing funding, attracting foreign investment, overseeing environmental and social impact assessments and managing public tenders for consultants and construction firms.
Although total project costs have not yet been disclosed, the establishment of the office signals a shift in policy focus — from transit-oriented infrastructure serving neighbouring states to a model that prioritises national integration and domestic economic growth. If successfully implemented, the North–South railway could significantly enhance freight mobility, agricultural supply chains and industrial access across Mozambique, reshaping the country’s logistics landscape for decades to come.
