Guide - Communications

Communications

ROAD and rail transport facilities in Northern Rhodesia cannot be compared with those existing in more developed countries but development schemes for improved road and rail systems throughout the Territory are already in hand.

Railways. All the main towns are linked by rail. Rhodesia Railways operate in the Territory from Livingstone on the southern boundary to Ndola on the Belgian Congo boundary, a distance of approximately 520 miles. The four mining towns, Luanshya, Nkana, Mufulira and Nchanga are served by branch lines from Ndola. There are four fast mail trains a week south to Bulawayo, three of them having direct connections with Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. There are also three mail trains a week from South Africa to Northern Rhodesia. The cost of a first class single ticket from Cape Town to Lusaka is £19 4s. Id. A second class single ticket costs £1214s. 9d. The mail train services also connect the Territory with ports on the East and West coasts. Residents become eligible for settlers' concession tickets on the Rhodesia Railways after they have lived in the country for twelve months.

Roads. Extensive plans for improving the main roads are well advanced and a start has been made on a programme of bitumen surfacing which will eventually provide a first-class all-weather highway from Livingstone to Ndola. Off the line-of-rail most of the roads have earth or gravel surfaces. Private transport firms run bus services from the line-of-rail towns to the outstations and buses operate within the larger townships, such as Livingstone, Lusaka and the Copperbelt centres.

Airways. Regular air services span South, Central and East Africa and the B.O.A.C. " Comet " service to the United Kingdom operates from Livingstone. The three main airports in Northern Rhodesia are Livingstone, Lusaka and Ndola. They are regular stopping places for air services to outside territories and are, of course, embodied within the network of internal scheduled services. Modern terminal buildings offer full amenities to passengers. Improved facilities for aviation in Northern Rhodesia also include radio aids to navigation, so placed as to give navigational " fixes " and homing facilities to the main airfields.