About ticket for the train Cuamba- Nampula

Alby, I have been asking questions about that train both on here and on http://www.mozguide.com/fala/default.asp (under the "ask Mike" section). You should read my questions and the answers that I received (which I found very helpful) and you will be able to judge for yourself.
Please give me the benefit of your experience with that train by responding either here or on Mozguide once you have done the journey. My wife and I will be travelling from Blantyre to Ilha de Moz at the end of September and I would appreciate as up-to-the-minute info as possible.
Thanks in advance.
Rudi

Hey there - we did that trip just a few weeks ago. We just turned up on the morning and got tickets easily. I can't imagine they would every actually say no more tickets the train is full anyways. I wouldn't even bother buying it the night before.
Have fun - it is a relaxing trip compared the the normal Mozambican mini-bus travel :)

Ok, I just did this. If you want second, rather than third class, it runs to Nampula Wed, Fri, Sun and it runs to Cuamba Tu, Th, Sat. Third class runs every day except Monday.

The people at the ticket counter recommend buying second-class tickets the day before. So don't worry about that. For third class, you can do it whenever. Second class when I was on it was full, but wasn't full at Cuamba, so you'd probably be safe waiting til morning too--but there are often long lines.

Rudi: were you the one coming from Malawi on the Liwonde-Nayuchi/Entre Lagos train? Just so you know, if you want to do that route, you have to secure your visa in advance. I didn't, so I had to go to Chiponde/Mandimba the next day, so I can't give you any more info on that.

Hi Firesika - yes, I was planning on travelling by train from Liwonde, but my information (which you have confirmed in response to the other thread) is that the train from Liwonde only runs once a week, both to and from Nayuchi on the same day. So we hope to be able to tie it so that we can catch it on the return trip, but we will have to give it a muss on the outward leg. Instead we will be travelling by chapa, or taxi or whatever, via Mangochi and Mandimba.
As South Africans we do not need visas for either Malawi or Mozambique.
My info was to the effect that the train between Cuamba and Nampula ran in both directions every day (except Monday). That was contrary to other info to the effect that it runs every alternate day in either direction (except Monday). Your first paragraph explains the apparent contradiction and will greatly help with my planning. We will hopefully be travelling second class and I will plan accordingly. Thank you.