Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) has informed the public and stakeholders of a goods train derailment that occurred on 5 February 2026 at approximately 23:10 hours between the Magoye and Mazabuka section in Southern Province.
The derailment involved train No. 522, which was conveying coal from Livingstone to Ndola. The incident involved seven (07) coal wagons, of which four (04) wagons capsized.
Preliminary investigations have indicated that the derailment was caused by acts of vandalism.
No fatalities were recorded, and all train crew members were reported to be safe and injury-free. However, the incident resulted in significant damage to railway infrastructure, as well as extensive damage to four wagons.
Recovery operations are underway, with heavy-lifting equipment, including a railway breakdown crane, mobilised to facilitate rerailing and accelerate the restoration of operations and clearance of the affected wagons. ZRL management and technical teams are on site working around the clock to expedite restoration works and ensure that disruption to train services is kept to a minimum.
