WHAT IS MAPUTO RAILWAY STATION?

Maputo railway station is one of the most gorgeous buildings in Maputo built in 1895. Mostly known as CFM by Mozambicans, Maputo railway station represents the heart of Maputo because it was thanks to the existence of this building that Maputo (named Lourenço Marques during colonialism) picked up its development pace. Soon after it was built, it started attracting people from all over the world, businesses, infrastructure projects, jobs among many other things. It was because of the railway station that Maputo eventually became, THE CAPITAL OF MOZAMBIQUE.

Highlights

 Three different countries participated in the construction of the railway station- the Dutch, the British and finally the Portuguese. What amazes me about CFM apart from its Beaux-Arts Architectural style and its socio-economic importance is its organization, the things to explore in it and of course the wonderful socio-cultural activities that place in it.

First and foremost, the railway station is a national heritage and the cheapest mean of transport which is a blessing for an underdeveloped country such as Mozambique. Secondly, it is a beautiful touristic attraction visited by thousands of tourists worldwide including Mozambicans from other parts of the country.

What you will See:

As you enter the building, the first thing you see is a small shop specialized in selling items which are mostly tourism related targeted mostly to foreign tourists. Items such as small sculptures, Paintings, African necklaces and bracelets most of them made out of beads, T-shirts with pictures of the Mozambican Flag in various styles, etc, are some of the shop’s available products.

After the shop, we walk straight into the station where we are welcomed by the two oldest trains in the history of CFM. These two particular trains were the first ones to run CFM’s tracks. One would operate Lourenço Marques – Pretoria while the other would do Lourenço Marques – Gaza.  The Administration Offices line up in between two lateral corridors which are followed by the railway’s tracks. In both sides of the line of offices.  After having delighted our eyes with the beauty and wonder of the first operating trains, it is now time to slowly walk in the left-hand side corridor exploring the metal panels which are hung on the roof. These are the railway station history panels, containing pictures of the railway from its beginning to its current stage, that is, from 1895 to now. 

 A ten wheeler locomotive, the first to be used in L. Marques- Pretoria Railway. Inaugurated in 1895.

Left-Hand Side Corridor

From the journey that the panels take us in, it is time to delight our souls with ART. Still in the same corridor, we now head to Art Gallery where we first and foremost welcomed by two gigantic and beautiful works of art made out of canoes brought all the way from Ilha de Moçambique (First Capital of Mozambique). These works of art belong to Pekiwa, and artist whose specialty is working only with material from Ilha de Moçambique specially canoes. In the gallery there are all kinds of works of art some for sale and others not.

After having explored all this, it’s time for a break, in the company of a fresh drink or a cup of coffee in the restaurant which is also still on the same corridor. Then, we head almost to the end of the building towards the museum. Inside the museum, we get to travel back in time again, as we get impressed by real old train parts accompanied by clear texts beside them explaining when and how it all worked. A continuation of Maputo railway station history takes place in the museum in a form of photographs and short, simple texts. In the museum, there can also be found several types of train models and train tracks, some static and others animated which makes it the right place to children if the mission is to provide great moments.

Finally, as we leave the Museum on our out of this magnificent building, we walk along the right-hand corridor enjoying ourselves with a beautiful of view of part of the city, as we are delighted with sights of the Cathedral, Central Market, Ferroviario Football Club and more. It is in this particular corridor where administration offices pile up one after another and where the other set of rail tracks are as well. The CFM train station is a proud host of national and international events such as Marrabenta Festival, the most special event in terms of Mozambican Traditional and Contemporary Music. The world of Fashion has its special place in the heart of Mozambique and, one of the most unforgettable editions of Mozambican Fashion Week took place in the CFM Train Station marking a new era of Young, Talented Mozambican Fashion Designers and Models. 

Hollywood: 

The beauty and glamour of this heritage of the Indian Pearl attracted the attention Hollywood, yes Hollywood! In 2006, the film “Blood Diamond” starring Leonardo Di’Caprio and Djimon Hounsou was shot in Maputo and, as it goes without saying, the Train Station was chosen as one of the settings among many other places used in the film.

RIGHT-HAND SIDE CORRIDOR – CITY VIEW (GREEN AND WHITE OLD TRAINS)

RED AND WHITE NEW TRAINS

“Blood Diamond Movie Scene” Shot at Bagamoyo street, across the CFM building. Maputo-Mozambique

Bagamoyo Street, Maputo-Mozambique

All in all, it is plain to see why Maputo CFM Train Station is a must-see, its rich history, architectural beauty and glamour and most of all the social contributions that they have been providing for the country make this touristic attraction one of my favorite spots when it comes to Maputo City Tours.

CFM Train station in the 60’s (Lourenço Marques – Mozambique)

HISTORY in detail:

The first train station in Maputo, then known as Lourenço Marques, was a modest structure, built of wood and zinc, and inaugurated in 1895 by Paul Kruger, President of the South African Republic. Plans to construct the current railway station to replace the old one date to 1904. The Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique, the parastatal agency overseeing railroads in Portuguese Mozambique, included $400,000 in its 1906–1907 budget for the construction of the new station. Initial plans were drawn up by Mario Veiga, a government architect at the Directorate of Public Works, along with Alfredo Augusto Lisboa de Lima. In 1906, the plans and budget were sent to the Portuguese government in Lisbon for approval. There, significant changes to the plans were made. The final plans provided for a building that was architecturally inspired by the main terminus in Johannesburg, but with a grander facade.

The long, metal railway platform was inaugurated on 19 March 1907. Construction on the building began in 1908. The project was overseen by the firm Buccellato e Irmão. The station, built of baked brick and cement, was inaugurated on 19 March 1910, in an informal ceremony attended by Governor-General Alfredo Augusto Freire de Andrade. Work on the building resumed in 1913 with a project to adorn the facade and construct the dome. The dome, often incorrectly attributed to Gustave Eiffel, was in fact designed by José Ferreira da Costa and executed by the Johannesburg-based firm Evans & Plows. Production of the dome was carried out in South Africa, rather than the United Kingdom, due to difficulties imposing by the ongoing World War I. The ornamentation of the building’s facade was designed and executed by Pietro Buffa Buccellato. The second phase of construction, including the new dome and facade, was completed in 2016. 

On 19 March 2010, the Central Railway Station celebrated its centenary in a ceremony attended by President Armando Guebuza. A plaque commemorating the event was unveiled, and the president launched an campaign called “O Património É Nosso” (Portuguese: “Our Heritage”) to promote the preservation of historic public assets. In 2015, a railway museum was opened at the station. It contains exhibits and food venues, and holds music and other events. 

Architecture

The initial plans for Central Railway Station were inspired by the old central terminus in Johannesburg, South Africa, but intended the station to have a grander facade. The building is of the Neoclassical Beaux-Arts style. At the center of the station’s grand facade is a tall arch, topped by the largest of the building’s three domes. The copper-clad semispherical central dome brings the building’s height to 51 m. The building’s two symmetrical sides connect the main tower to the building’s domed side towers through second-story verandas. Ornamental features including marble pillars and wrought iron latticework contribute to its aesthetic appearance. 

Recognition

In 2009, the American magazine Newsweek ranked the station #7 on a list of “Train stations as grand as the journey”, and described it as “probably” the most beautiful terminus in Africa. In 2011, the American travel magazine Travel + Leisure included it in a list of the world’s 14 most beautiful railway stations. In 2016, the station was included on a list of nine beautiful train stations published by The Financial Express, an Indian business newspaper.