CEAR - Central East African Railways
In May 1999, a consortium led by RDC was awarded the concession for Malawi's railway, a network extending from the Zambian border in the West to connections with Mozambique's Nacala Corridor to the East and Mozambique's Beira corridor to the South (the Beira corridor has been closed since the mid 1980's as a result of Mozambique's civil war). Principal markets served are the capital city of Lilongwe and the main economic center of Blantyre. With the final concessioning of Mozambique's Nacala Port and Railway to the same consortium in January 2005, commercial and operational integration of the corridor will provide a more efficient and competitive outlet for landlocked Malawi. The consortium began operations on December 1, 1999. The Central East African Railways Company (CEAR) is the Concessionaire Company formed by RDC and includes: ERL (Bermuda), MANICA (Mozambique), Mozambican private investors and CFM (Mozambique's Port and Railway Administration).
