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Rail News

Zimbabwe turns to private firms to boost freight rail volumes

By: Reuters 5th September 2024 Zimbabwe's State-owned railway operator has opened its network up to private players, including a unit of South Africa's Grindrod, as it seeks to boost freight volumes that had collapsed after decades of underinvestment, an official said. National Railways of Zimbabwe hauled 12-million tons of... →

PRASA welcomes 15-year sentence handed down to former engineering head

By: Irma Venter 4th September 2024 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) says it welcomes the 15-year prison sentence handed down this week to Daniel Mthimkhulu, the agency’s former head of engineering. Mthimkhulu, appointed at PRASA in 2010, was charged with fraud and forgery in misrepresenting his qualifications to... →

South Africa rail, power revamp hinges on ending cable theft

By: Bloomberg 4th September 2024 The recovery of South Africa’s two biggest State-owned companies — beset by years of corruption and theft — relies on one common component: protecting thousands of miles of cables from theft and rolling out more. Both freight-rail operator Transnet and power utility Eskom battle to hang onto... →

Transnet, Petredec sign agreement to enhance bulk LPG distribution in South Africa

By: Creamer Media Reporter 4th September 2024 State-owned logistics infrastructure company Transnet and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) value chain company Petredec have entered into an agreement to implement a groundbreaking rail freight solution to improve LPG distribution in South Africa. The agreement will result in Petredec introducing... →

Petredec CEO Jonathan Fancher and Transnet Group CE Michelle Phillips

China signs deal to revamp decades-old Southern African railway

By: Bloomberg 4th September 2024 China signed an agreement Wednesday to revamp a railway that will help landlocked Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, export the metal through Tanzania. The heads of state of the three nations oversaw the ceremony at the Forum on China Africa-Cooperation, kicking off the biggest... →

DBSA approves $200m for Lobito Corridor Railway project

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 3rd September 2024 Development finance institution the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has, alongside the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), approved funding of up to $200-million towards the Lobito Corridor Railway project, in Angola. The funding will support the construction and... →

Phillips confirms 193Mt ‘stretch target’ for rail amid criticism that recovery plan lacks ambition

By: Terence Creamer 2nd September 2024 Transnet CEO Michelle Phillips has acknowledged criticism over the pace at which it plans to recover rail volumes and has reported that an internal “stretch target” of 193-million tons has been set for 2024/25 against an official target of 170-million tons. Speaking during the State-owned group’s... →

Transnet CEO Michelle Phillips delivering Transnet's 2024 results

South Africa is losing its trade competitiveness edge

By: Schalk Burger 2nd September 2024 Enormous investments are being made in ports, rail and transport logistics in Southern Africa, as well as more broadly in Africa, including by international companies and consortia. "Global companies that are investing in infrastructure across the continent. This is happening because of the... →

NDB signs R5bn loan agreement with Transnet

By: Irma Venter 30th August 2024 The New Development Bank (NDB) on Friday signed a R5-billion loan agreement with State-owned freight transport and logistics group Transnet. The agreement was signed during the NDB’s ninth yearly meeting, held in Cape Town. →

Transnet CEO Michelle Phillips (left) and NDB president Dilma Rousseff

Regional integration to make products more competitive, but many challenges remain for Africa

By: Schalk Burger 30th August 2024 Better transport and trade infrastructure across Africa will make it quicker and cheaper to transport goods, while lower tariff and non-tariff barriers will reduce the cost of goods and increase competition between companies and the competitiveness of products. Lower costs to trade will enable... →

Trucks transporting cargo containers at a port in Africa

Responsibilities for SOEs moved to their respective Ministries

By: Creamer Media Reporter 30th August 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the implications of moving that State-owned enterprises that previously fell under the Department of Public Enterprises to new departments. →

Responsibilities for SOEs moved to their respective Ministries

PRASA terminates Matthews’ contract, sticks with Emeran as CEO

By: Irma Venter 30th August 2024 The board of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has terminated Zolani Matthews’ employment with immediate effect. PRASA fired Matthews as CEO in 2021 for failing to disclose that he held dual South African-UK citizenship, which would have disqualified him from obtaining the... →

US sees bipartisan backing for Africa critical minerals projects

By: Bloomberg 29th August 2024 A senior US State Department official reassured African governments that an initiative to help counter China’s influence through developing infrastructure on the continent will continue even after a change in administration. The flagship of the plan — a railway project known as the Lobito... →

Transnet rolling out novel outcomes-based security approach to protect its infrastructure

By: Darren Parker 28th August 2024 State-owned Transnet is implementing a novel outcomes-based security (OBS) approach to combat the high levels of theft and vandalism on its rail network, chief security officer Ashwin Govind has revealed. Speaking on the second day of the South African Heavy Haul Association conference, on August... →

TFR managing less than half of its maintenance investment requirements

By: Darren Parker 28th August 2024 State-owned Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) is meeting less than half of its necessary maintenance investment, with inflation significantly expanding the gap in year-on-year funding requirements. Further exacerbating this, TFR CE Russell Baatjies said, was the persistent drain on maintenance funds by... →

A railway line in KwaZulu-Natal that had to be repaired following a 2021 flood

Freight rail underperformance cost South Africa’s bulk mining sector R140bn in the last super cycle

By: Darren Parker 28th August 2024 Owing to domestic logistics constraints, South Africa’s coal and iron-ore bulk mining sectors were unable to capitalise on the last super cycle from 2021 to 2023, resulting in an estimated R140-billion in lost revenue for those two commodities alone, iron-ore miner Kumba Iron Ore CEO Mpumi... →

Iron-ore produced by Kumba being transported by rail

Experts reflect on status of rail reform at SAHHA Conference

By: Marleny Arnoldi 27th August 2024 With Transnet’s export coal and iron-ore volume performance having reached multidecade lows in recent years and mining companies not weathering low commodity cycles sufficiently, the focus of this year’s South African Heavy Haul Association (SAHHA) Conference is on reforms having been made to... →

Scramble for critical minerals spurs an African rail revival

By: Bloomberg 26th August 2024 Southern Africa’s railways are suddenly getting global attention and attracting billions of dollars in investment, with a race to secure copper supplies needed for the energy transition at its center. From Angola on the continent’s west coast to Tanzanian on the east, governments and investors... →

Lobito Atlantic Railway begins exporting copper from the DRC to the US

By: Sabrina Jardim 23rd August 2024 Railway operator Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) has reported that the first shipment of copper destined for the US left the port of Lobito, in Angola, this week, loaded on the MSC SAMU container vessel. This follows a number of shipments of copper to ports in Europe and the Far East since the LAR... →

Challenging trade environment dents Grindrod’s profit

By: Irma Venter 23rd August 2024 Grindrod encountered a “very challenging environment” in the first six months of the year, says CEO Xolani Mbambo. “It’s been difficult.” →

Xolani Mbambo

Company catalyses gender transformation

By: Lumkile Nkomfe 23rd August 2024 Amid the efforts to attract, progress and retain women across key sectors of the economy, rail sleeper and infrastructure products manufacturer Colossal Concrete Products CEO Gwen Mahuma-Madida highlights the imperative of providing greater opportunities for female participation in the rail and... →

GWEN MAHUMA-MADIDA Women should be aware and receptive to ensure they can identify suitable opportunities for meaningful participation

Women’s participation key to economic growth – investment firm

By: Lumkile Nkomfe 23rd August 2024 Efforts to facilitate the greater participation of women in key sectors of the economy, such as the transport sector, are viewed with the utmost importance by women-led investment firm Identity Partners. The impetus for developing this business, established in 2008, was the desire to increase... →

SONJA DE BRUYN Infrastructure projects and partnerships can be integral to enhancing equality, in addition to safe and effective transport infrastructure's facilitating the movement of women, and therefore, assisting in their participation in economic activity

Identity Partners co-founder and principal partner Sonja De Bruyn discussing the significant roles that women play in industry

Rail infrastructure thieves receive lengthy prison sentences

By: Darren Parker 22nd August 2024 State-owned Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has welcomed the conviction and sentencing of four people arrested in connection with the theft and damage of essential Transnet infrastructure that seriously impacted on its rail operations. On August 19, the Nxuba Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape... →

Railway operators urged to consider cost and quality of locally manufactured rolling stock

By: Darren Parker 22nd August 2024 Although the Southern African Development Community is able to manufacture, maintain, repair and upgrade rail rolling stock to high standards, the high costs of local manufacturing are driving railway operators to import from abroad instead, a panel of speakers agreed during the South African... →

Conference highlights SADC rail opportunities, challenges

By: Sabrina Jardim 20th August 2024 Highlighting the critical role of rail in boosting economic prosperity and trade in Africa, this year’s Southern African Railways Association (SARA) Conference and Exhibition emphasised the theme ‘Boosting continental trade via rail: Investments in African railways for the sustainable development... →

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy

S Africa moving to finalise framework for private sector participation in rail and ports

By: Bloomberg 20th August 2024 South Africa plans to complete a framework for private companies to use State-owned port and rail infrastructure within six months, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said, a move that could help the government solve severe logistics constraints that have hit economic growth. The framework will... →

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy

PRASA terminates Matthews’ contract; sticks with Emeran as CEO

By: Irma Venter 16th August 2024 The board of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has terminated Zolani Matthews’ employment with immediate effect. PRASA fired Matthews as CEO in 2021 for his failure to disclose the fact that he held dual South African/UK citizenship, which would have disqualified him from... →

Hishaam Emeran

Necom's focus, Transnet's recovery and the future of Operation Vulindlela make headlines

By: Creamer Media Reporter 16th August 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses some of the key outcomes of the first meeting between Cabinet member and business leaders since the formation of the Government of National Unity. →

Necom's focus, Transnet's recovery and the future of Operation Vulindlela make headlines

Transnet’s recovery plan lacks the ambition needed for higher growth, government and business warn

By: Terence Creamer 15th August 2024 Government and business are urging Transnet to show greater ambition in its plans to recover freight volumes, describing the current recovery plan as falling well short of what is required to support higher economic growth and job creation. The State-owned group has set a target to move... →

Transnet initiates investigation into Fidelity security tender award

By: Darren Parker 14th August 2024 State-owned Transnet has commissioned an investigation to determine the facts and associated circumstances with regard to recent allegations in the media casting doubt on the integrity pertaining to the award of a tender that resulted in the Fidelity Group being appointed an outcomes-based... →

South Africa's coal export line will need five years to refurbish

By: Bloomberg 13th August 2024 South Africa’s State-owned rail company needs $669-million and five years to upgrade equipment to revive performance of its main export coal line, according to an internal report. Coal shipments plunged to a more than three-decade low of 48-million tons last year because of inefficiencies at... →

Coal being transported on TFR's coal rail line

Cape Town wants GNU to give it more policing powers, right to run passenger rail and more

By: Irma Venter 9th August 2024 The City of Cape Town’s top requests to the Government of National Unity (GNU) are for municipal police to have the powers to investigate crime; the devolvement of passenger rail to the city; the release of national mega-properties for affordable housing; the increase of social housing subsidies... →

Colossal Concrete Products well-positioned to deliver on rail demands

7th August 2024 Southern Africa’s largest manufacturer of railway sleepers, Colossal Concrete Products has outlined its vision for delivering optimal solutions for the rail sector. Lumkile Nkomfe tells us more. →

Colossal Concrete Products well-positioned to deliver on rail demands

RSR urges the public to adhere to safety protocols at level crossings

By: Sabrina Jardim 5th August 2024 The Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) has released preliminary findings from its investigation into the recent accident at the Arnot level crossing, in the Steve Tshwete municipality, in Mpumalanga, noting that it appears that the driver of the school bus did not adhere to the road signage at the... →

Tanzania launches $3.1bn railway in drive to boost infrastructure

By: Reuters 2nd August 2024 Tanzania on Thursday launched a 541 km modern standard gauge railway running between its administrative and commercial capitals, built by a Turkish firm as part of a government drive to improve transport infrastructure. African governments have been racing to build infrastructure like roads,... →

Infrastructure refurbishment investment alone could provide R100bn/y manufacturing stimulus

By: Darren Parker 31st July 2024 South Africa’s decaying water, electricity and logistics infrastructure presents a R100-billion a year repair and refurbishment investment opportunity that could provide much-needed stimulus for the declining manufacturing sector, Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa COO... →

Infrastructure refurbishment investment alone could provide R100bn/y manufacturing stimulus

LHM manufactures seven traction transformers for PRASA

By: Schalk Burger 30th July 2024 Transformer manufacturer LH Marthinusen (LHM) has manufactured and supplied seven traction transformers for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (PRASA's) key line restoration project. Six of the traction transformers were supplied to a key project to restore several rail corridors in... →

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