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Rail News

National Logistics Crisis Committee to tackle transport emergencies in parallel to reform agenda

By: Terence Creamer 13th June 2023 The National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC) will adopt a two-pronged approach to addressing the rail, port and road crises currently undermining growth and job creation in South Africa, whereby several urgent interventions will be pursued in parallel to a reform agenda with longer-term... →

South African government’s Vulindlela reforms will not be minor, assures Presidency official

By: Rebecca Campbell 12th June 2023 The South African government’s Operation Vulindlela (“opening up”) is intended to result in major reforms to key sectors of the economy, Presidency Project Management Office head Rudi Dicks assured delegates at the forty-fifth annual SAPICS Conference, in Cape Town, on Monday. “It’s not going to... →

Presidency Project Management Office head Rudi Dicks

Fundamental economic reforms gathering pace, Ramaphosa says

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 12th June 2023 The latest report from Operation Vulindlela, a joint project of the Presidency, the National Treasury and other key government departments, outlines progress in implementing far-reaching, long-lasting reforms, President Cyril Ramaphosa posits in his letter to the nation on June 12. “Many of... →

South Africa's transport network holding economic growth back

By: Rebecca Campbell 12th June 2023 South Africa’s transport modalities – all of them – are currently unable to support greater economic growth in the country. So warned South African Association of Freight Forwarders CEO Juanita Maree, addressing the forty-fifth Annual SAPICS Conference in Cape Town on Monday. “Supply chain is... →

A truck transporting a container by road

SA’s logistics chain in ‘desperate’ need of PPPs – SAAFF

By: Irma Venter 9th June 2023 Port and rail parastatal Transnet and government cannot “go it alone” to repair South Africa’s strained logistics network, says South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) CEO Dr Juanita Maree. “Our current ports and rail model is, at best, archaic compared to international standards,... →

Juanita Maree

Cameroon to start building railway to disputed iron-ore project in August

By: Reuters 7th June 2023 Cameroon will begin construction in August of a railway line connecting its coast to a large iron-ore deposit straddling its border with Congo Republic, the interim mines minister said. The central African country signed a deal with two China-linked companies in June 2021 to construct the... →

Top CEOs sign up to help tackle South Africa’s energy, transport and crime crises

By: Terence Creamer 7th June 2023 CEOs from some of South Africa’s largest companies – including Sasol’s Fleetwood Grobler, Anglo American’s Nolitha Fakude, former Exxaro CEO Mxolisi Mgojo, Toyota South Africa’s Andrew Kirby, Remgro’s Jannie Durand, Sibanye-Stillwater’s Neal Froneman and Sanlam’s Paul Hanratty – have agreed to... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa chaired a meeting of Ministers and CEOs at the Union Buildings on June 6

Registrations for twelfth IHHA Conference now open

By: Simone Liedtke 6th June 2023 The planning for the highly anticipated twelfth International Heavy Haul Association (IHHA) Conference is well under way and it promises to be a remarkable gathering of heavy haul professionals at an engaging and enlightening event for heavy haul professionals globally. Providing a platform for... →

Derailment, cable theft disrupts TFR's iron-ore rail corridor

By: Creamer Media Reporter 6th June 2023 State-owned Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) on June 5 reported that its iron-ore corridor had been severely impacted on by a derailment and cable theft. TFR said 20 iron-ore loaded wagons had derailed between Loop 9 and 10 of the corridor in the early morning of June 5. →

PRASA chairperson axed

By: Creamer Media Reporter 6th June 2023 Leonard Ramatlakane has been relieved of his duties as chairperson of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). This follows an investigation by PRASA into the misuse by Ramatlakane of one of the rail entity's properties in Cape Town. →

Gautrain to start search for new CEO as Dachs prepares to step down in Feb 2024

By: Schalk Burger 5th June 2023 Gauteng Transport and Logistics MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela says a recruitment process is under way to appoint a new Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) CEO. Current CEO William Dachs will step down at the end of his tenure in February 2024. →

Gautrain Management Agency CEO William Dachs will step down in February 2024

South Africa’s locomotive shortage unresolved after China visit

By: Bloomberg 2nd June 2023 South Africa’s Department of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said he’s yet to resolve an impasse with China that’s held up the delivery of locomotives and parts essential to improving the performance of the African nation’s state-owned logistics company. Transnet, which operates the... →

Photo by Bloomberg
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan

19 of PRASA’s 40 corridors reopened but providing peak-period service only

By: Irma Venter 2nd June 2023 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has seen passenger numbers plummet from 600-million a year in the 2014/15 financial year, to 15-million in the last financial year, says CEO Hishaam Emeran. He says 50% of the 2 300 km PRASA network was impacted on by theft and vandalism during... →

Mining industry has critical role in closing energy supply gap – Mantashe

By: Darren Parker 31st May 2023 Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe is convinced that mining companies can supplement State-owned Eskom’s supply of electricity, and that this would be critical for narrowing the electricity supply and demand gap, thereby improving South Africa’s mining industry global ranking,... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe

Omnia buys 20 rail tankers to support local ammonia supply chain

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 29th May 2023 In a proactive response to recent industry dynamics and the pressure faced by global supply chains, JSE-listed Omnia Group says it is taking decisive steps to strengthen a robust ammonia supply chain by buying 20 additional ammonia rail wagons. These wagons will serve as additional mobile storage... →

Theft disrupts rail line serving Durban port

By: Bloomberg 24th May 2023 The rail line running from Africa’s biggest container port to South Africa’s richest province ran at 25% of its capacity over the past week because of theft, vandalism and rail damage. The 688 km line from the Port of Durban to Gauteng province only operated for 36 hours over six days, Transnet,... →

Gordhan promises new-look Eskom by March as he outlines SOE Holdco progress

By: Terence Creamer 23rd May 2023 Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan says the restructuring under way at South Africa’s troubled State-owned electricity producer will result in a new-look entity that “will no longer be the old Eskom as we know it” by the end of March next year. Delivering his Budget Vote to lawmakers,... →

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan

Citrus growers call on DPE to urgently invest in rail for future growth

By: Schalk Burger 22nd May 2023 Industry organisation the Citrus Growers' Association of Southern Africa (CGA) has called on Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to announce a turnaround to fix the current freight rail network crisis, which is threatening the future growth of the citrus growing sector, which sustains 130... →

PRASA not sustainable at current passenger numbers, but remedial work continues – CEO

By: Irma Venter 18th May 2023 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has seen passenger numbers plummet from 600-million a year in the 2014/15 financial year, to 15-million in the last financial year, says CEO Hishaam Emeran. Emeran says 50% of the 2 300-km PRASA network was impacted by theft and vandalism owing to... →

Hishaam Emeran

TFR reports derailment on North Corridor

By: Creamer Media Reporter 12th May 2023 State-owned Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) is operating its North Corridor on reduced load, after a train, enroute to Richards Bay, derailed on Thursday. TFR said in a statement on Friday that 49 loaded wagons on Train 6605 had derailed on Line 1 at the Mqwabe bypass, between Dumbe and Vryheid, in... →

Functional passenger rail service will sustain 51 493 jobs – City of Cape Town

By: Irma Venter 12th May 2023 The City of Cape Town (CoCT) has completed its preliminary financial analysis and impact assessment report as part of a feasibility study on the devolution of commuter rail services from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to the city. According to the report, an efficient passenger... →

Siemens Mobility ensures improved passenger safety with PRASA Gauteng resignalling project

By: Darren Parker 10th May 2023 Railway technology company Siemens Mobility has successfully completed the Gauteng resignalling project, which it describes as the largest signalling project in South African history. The project was carried out to enable the State-owned Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to provide... →

Siemens technician working on new signalling systems for Prasa

Emerging miners highlight impact of energy, logistics constraints on economic growth

By: Schalk Burger 8th May 2023 The South African economy is limited to 1.5% potential growth a year because there is no productivity growth. National productivity has declined for five years consecutively, highlighting the economy's structural constraints, including a lack of energy security and logistics capacity, mining... →

Minerals Council South Africa outgoing CEO Roger Baxter

Rampant corruption at Eskom drags down South Africa

By: Bloomberg 8th May 2023 On a late Thursday afternoon last November, in the midst of rolling blackouts implemented by South Africa’s state-owned electricity company, a contractor at a power station in the eastern Mpumalanga province pulled a plug connected to one of the site’s main generation units. The unit subsequently... →

A coal truck with a power station in the background

Lack of energy, logistics challenges eroding emerging miners' profitability, viability

By: Schalk Burger 5th May 2023 The significant electricity shortages in South Africa and the significant logistics constraints, especially for bulk commodities, are eroding junior and emerging miners' profitability, with some having to close down because they cannot afford or sustain their operations through the use of... →

SADPO vice chairperson Lyndon de Meillon

TFR bolsters manganese export capacity

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 4th May 2023 State-owned Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) says it is providing additional capacity for the export of manganese through the extension of the current Mamathwane crossing loop in the Northern Cape. This development has the potential of additional revenue for TFR and an estimated R4.4-billion in... →

Gordhan in China to fast-track locomotives, spares delivery to Transnet

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 2nd May 2023 Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has embarked on a previously announced official trip to China. He is leading a delegation to meet with his counterparts in the Chinese government as part of efforts to fast-track the delivery of locomotives and spare parts by the Chinese State-owned CRRC... →

PRASA has restored 16 corridors to date, says Transport Minister

By: Irma Venter 28th April 2023 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has restarted the Langa to Nyanga commuter rail service on Cape Town’s Central Line after three years of dormancy. “The devastation that we experienced on the back of the Covid-19 pandemic in the form of unprecedented theft and vandalism of public... →

Functional passenger rail service to sustain 51 493 jobs – City of Cape Town

By: Irma Venter 24th April 2023 The City of Cape Town (CoCT) has completed its preliminary financial analysis and impact assessment report as part of a feasibility study on the devolution of commuter rail services from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to the city. According to the report, an efficient passenger... →

South African port operator pursuing R8bn OEM strategy in bid to bolster equipment performance

By: Terence Creamer 24th April 2023 Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) is optimistic that its emerging strategy of entering into long-term agreements with original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for the supply and life-cycle maintenance of key port-handling equipment will position the business for significantly higher levels of... →

TPT expects to invest just over R8-billion over the next five years

Collapse in rail service has increased road freight volumes and risks

By: Donna Slater 21st April 2023 A spate of attention-grabbing road safety incidents involving trucks has sparked debate about the state of land transport in South Africa and brought the safety of trucks and their operators into sharp focus. Among recent horror crashes involving trucks is the Boksburg gas tanker explosion that... →

Transnet rebuilding internal audit capabilities

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 17th April 2023 State-owned Transnet says it is repositioning and strengthening its internal audit function to ensure improved governance and internal controls. A key part of this includes implementation of a strategy to move away from a fully outsourced internal audit service – as was the case in the past – to... →

RSR issues 29-month operating permit for PRASA

By: Schalk Burger 17th April 2023 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has welcomed the issuing of an operating permit by the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR), which is valid for 29 months. The agency was able to satisfy the requirements set out by the RSR for the issuing of a safety permit. The safety permit... →

Ramaphosa underlines commitment to energy and freight reforms as he unveils new R2tr investment target

By: Terence Creamer 13th April 2023 President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled a new investment target of R2-trillion for the five-year period to 2028 at the fifth edition of the South African Investment Conference on Thursday, where he also received new pledges from domestic and international investors that enabled him to confirm that the... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa at the fifth edition of the South African Investment Conference

Untethered electric train growth to quadruple by year-end – IDTechEx

By: Donna Slater 11th April 2023 Demand for “untethered” electric trains will increase rapidly over the coming years, with sales to grow four-fold year-on-year to reach over 100 deliveries this year, according to a report by market research and business intelligence company IDTechEx. The ‘Battery Electric & Hydrogen Fuel Cell... →

Steel producer continues to grow manufacturing capacity

7th April 2023 Spain-based global stainless-steel producer Acerinox says its global footprint has transformed it into one of the most competitive producers of stainless steels and nickel alloys. The company boasts significant production capabilities with three fully integrated flat product manufacturing... →

An aerial view of the sizable manufacturing facility at Columbus stainless in Middleburg South Africa, with buildings, storage facilities and waste water facility as well

AIMING HIGH An areal view of the manufacturing plant of Columbus Stainless, a facility owned by Spain-based steel giant Acerinox

PRASA has restored 16 corridors to date – Transport Minister

By: Irma Venter 6th April 2023 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has restarted the Langa to Nyanga commuter rail service on Cape Town’s central line after three years of dormancy. “The devastation that we experienced on the back of the Covid-19 pandemic in the form of unprecedented theft and vandalism of public... →

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