The governor of Manica province, in the center of the country, Francisca Tomás, considers the introduction of a passenger train on the Beira corridor, which connects the port city of Beira, in Sofala province, to neighboring Zimbabwe, to be an important gain for the population..

From November 23rd, passenger trains will start running for the first time, making it easier to move people and goods.

At the moment, the rehabilitation of the railway line linking the city of Beira to the Machipanda border, a stretch of around 300 kilometers, is nearing completion.

The rehabilitation is being carried out by Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM), with funding from the Mozambican government.

"The entry into service of passenger trains is a gain for us, because it makes life easier for the population. Our province is rich because it produces almost everything and, as we know, road transportation is very expensive. With the train, people's lives will be easier," said Francisca Tomás, quoted by AIM.

According to the governor, people will have an alternative. What's more, "it's safer to travel by train, we know that prices will be more affordable for the transportation of people and goods, and it will be easier for the low-income population".

"It's also a way of boosting our economy. Trade will flow. In this province, production is done on a large scale and we often want to sell in other regions. The population couldn't transport their produce because of the cost," said the governor, for whom the train will change people's lives.

However, Francisca Tomás called on the population to be vigilant against acts of vandalization by people in bad faith, noting that "only in this way will the population be participating in the prevention of rail accidents, which have often caused deaths and loss of goods".

"Our appeal goes out to the entire population of Manica and Sofala provinces. We want this investment by the government to have results and a direct impact on the lives of Mozambicans. Therefore, we are going to be vigilant in the communities, because those who vandalize these infrastructures are our children, brothers and family members," he added.

In the past, passenger trains ran between the city of Chimoio and Gondola, a distance of 17 kilometers.

For some years now, it has been interrupted by the armed conflict that lasted 16 years and ended in 1992.

For 31 years, only the freight train from Beira to the border town of Machipanda and vice versa ran.