BULAWAYO – The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has reintroduced passenger train services on the Harare–Mutare and Bulawayo–Victoria Falls routes, with the first trips scheduled for Friday as part of efforts to revive affordable and reliable public transport.
The parastatal said the trains will operate twice weekly, departing Harare and Mutare on Fridays and Sundays, and Bulawayo and Victoria Falls on the same schedule.
The economy class fare for Harare–Mutare will be US$5 per adult, while passengers travelling between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls will pay US$9.
In a statement, NRZ said the service will use standard and economy class coaches, marking a return to regular passenger operations after trials during the Sanganayi Travel Expo last month.
“The enthusiastic response during the Travel Expo confirmed strong public interest in rail travel,” the company said. “We are now pursuing plans to offer train services more regularly across the country.”
NRZ board chairperson Michael Chikono said the reintroduction of passenger trains forms part of the company’s broader plan to restore rail’s role in connecting cities and promoting domestic tourism.
“This is a step towards making rail transport accessible, reliable, and affordable once again,” he said. “We are also working on logistics to resume the regular tourist train between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.”
The Harare–Mutare train will depart the capital at 8PM every Friday, arriving in Mutare at 6AM on Saturday, while the return journey leaves Mutare on Sunday at 8PM, arriving in Harare early Monday.
Similarly, the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls service will depart on Fridays at 7PM and return on Sundays at the same time, arriving the next morning.
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