THE BEIRA RAILWAY.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 128, 31 May 1900, Page 2

THE BEIRA RAILWAY.

The Beira railway which is now attracting public- attention, was the outcome of an agreement made between Great Britain and Portugal on 11th June, 1891, mainly for tho purpose of fixing the lespective frontiers, following on the taking over of Lob:-ngula's territories by the British South Africa Company. The Portuguese Government undertook the construction of a line of railway which would connect Rhodesia with tho sea at. Beira. The oiiginal concession was gi anted to tho Mozambique Company; bub eventually it was transferred to the Beira Railway Company, which was registered in London in July, 1892. The total length of tho Beira line is 203 miles, a greater distance than was originally contemplated, partly because the boundary between the British and Portuguese spheres of influence had in the meantime been moved sevnteen miles westward, and partly became of the detours which had to bo made owing to the hilly nature of the country. Thus between Fontesvilla. and Chimoio the distance, as the crow flics, is 75 mile's, but the line winds 120, while it rises steadily from Beira, until at Umtali it reached an elevation of 3450 ft. The average rate of speed for passenger trains is only twelve miles an hour, and for goods trains ten miles an hour. At Umtali the line connects' with that of the Ma.shonaland Railway Company, which runs thence to Salisbury, the capital of Rhodesia, a distance of about 170 miles. Eventually the Cape Railway, which now has its terminus at Bulawayo, will be extended via GW.o to meet the line at Salisbury, and Capetown will then be in direct railway communication wi b Beira, a total length of 2000 miles of continuous railway being available for this purpose. At the present moment, however, there is no railway between Salisbury and Bulawayo, a distance uf 280 miles. The Beira-Umtali line was originally constructed on a 2ft gauge, the carriages overhanging the wheels to about the same extent on each side. The Urn-tali-Salisbury line, however, was made on the 3ft 6in standard of ithe Cape railway system, and the Beira railway is now being relaid, bo that it now corresponds with the same standard, with the exception of some sixty miles.