TransNamib

---

title: "TransNamib" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["transnamib-railway", "railway-companies-of-namibia", "windhoek", "3-ft-6-in-gauge-railways-in-namibia"] description: "Railway operator in Namibia" topic_path: "general/transnamib-railway" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TransNamib" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Railway operator in Namibia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox rail"]

Field	Value
railroad_name	TransNamib Holdings Limited
image	TransNamib Lok 01.JPG
image_caption	Two TransNamib U20C (South African Class 33-400) diesel-electric locomotives haul a train south of Keetmanshoop
start_year
end_year
gauge
old_gauge
website
::

|railroad_name = TransNamib Holdings Limited |logo = |logo_size = |logo_alt = |system_map = |map_caption = |map_size = |map_alt = |image = TransNamib Lok 01.JPG |image_size = |image_caption = Two TransNamib U20C (South African Class 33-400) diesel-electric locomotives haul a train south of Keetmanshoop |image_alt = |marks = |locale = |start_year = |end_year = |predecessor_line = |successor_line = |gauge = |old_gauge = |electrification = |length = |hq_city = |website = |embedded = TransNamib Holdings Limited (TransNamib) is a state-owned railway company in Namibia. Organised as a holding company, it provides both rail and road freight services, as well as passenger rail services. Its headquarters are in the country’s capital Windhoek.

History

Main article: History of rail transport in Namibia

A first local railway was constructed in 1895 by the Damaraland Guano Company for commercial purposes. The first public railway, and the core of the present system, was constructed by the German colonial government. The 383 km connection between Swakopmund and Windhoek was inaugurated on June 19, 1902. The German colonial railway was taken over by the Railways of South Africa after World War I, and linked into the network of South Africa. After the independence of Namibia, TransNamib took control of the national rail network.

Operations

TransNamib operated 2,883 km of rail in 1995. Since then, further track has been added to the network through the Northern Extension. It operates on Cape gauge. While focus has been primarily on freight services, passenger services are an important component of TransNamib and provided under the Starline logo. The “Desert Express” was a tourist train that ceased operations in 2020. https://m.facebook.com/100064568328761/

In early 2011, the Karasburg - Ariamsvlei mainline was damaged by flash floods, as was part of the Seeheim-Lüderitz line; services were suspended.

Major lines and stations

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Namibia_rail_network_map.svg" caption="Map of the rail network of Namibia"] ::

• Windhoek-Tsumeb/Walvis Bay
  • Windhoek Railway Station
  • Okahandja
  • Karibib
    • Swakopmund
    • Walvis Bay
  • Omaruru
  • Otjiwarongo
  • Tsumeb
• Northern Extension
  • Tsumeb
  • Ondangwa (completed 2006)
  • Oshikango (under construction, with future link to Angola)
• Winhoek-Gobabis
  • Windhoek
  • Neudamm
  • Omitara
  • Gobabis
• Windhoek-Upington
  • Windhoek
  • Rehoboth
  • Mariental
    • Maltahöhe
  • Gibeon
  • Asab
  • Tses
  • Keetmanshoop
  • Seeheim
    • Lüderitz
  • Karasburg
  • Upington, South Africa

References

References

1. "About Us".
2. "NAMIBIAN WASHAWAYS". Railways Africa.
3. [http://www.railwaysafrica.com/news_african/namibia.php Update 2006 re Northern extension]

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::