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Rail News

Integrated security tech can mitigate risk

By: Nadine Ramdass 13th October 2023 Transport systems encounter challenges related to capacity, reliability, transference and integration. However, integrated surveillance technology can mitigate these risks and enhance efficiency, says security system supplier Axis Communications Africa sales manager Marcel Bruyns. He explains... →

Local manufacturers poised to support sector

By: Nadine Ramdass 13th October 2023 Local manufacturers are well positioned to support the South African railway and transportation sector through products, services and maintenance support tailored to the specific needs of the industry, says railway signalling equipment company ACTOM Signalling business development manager... →

An mage of ACTOM Signalling's equipment next to a railway line

LOCAL ASSISTANCE The local railway sector can take advantage of local manufacturers’ developing innovative equipment designed to meet specific challenges within the country

Rail protocol ratification approved

13th October 2023 The South African Cabinet formally approved the submission of the Luxembourg Rail Protocol to the Cape Town Convention (LRP) to Parliament for ratification, in June 2023. Formal ratification is expected later this year. The LRP aims to “foster economic growth by enhancing private sector financing... →

An image of law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr corporate and commercial practice director and mining and minerals sector head Vivien Chaplin

VIVIEN CHAPLIN The LRP aims to make it easier and cheaper for the private sector to finance railway rolling stock

Railway project midway to completion

By: Nadine Ramdass 13th October 2023 Japan-based railway signal and track maintenance equipment manufacturer Hayashi Soji is midway through the second phase of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) railway project in South Africa. The project is aligned with the JICA’s aim to help promote international cooperation and... →

Neglect, mismanagement threaten S Africa's once-promising transport infrastructure, warns Cesa

By: Nadine Ramdass 13th October 2023 South Africa boasts extensive road and railway systems, along with well-equipped ports and airports, some of which are comparable to infrastructure in developed nations. However, a lack of maintenance and poor management have resulted in degrading transport infrastructure, with far-reaching... →

#UniteBehind launches court battle for Cape Town railway control

By: News24Wire 12th October 2023 Civil society organisation #UniteBehind has launched a court bid to compel the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) to hand over the running and management of the railway system in the metro to the City of Cape Town. #UniteBehind filed court papers at the Western Cape High Court,... →

Broad-based strain evident in the logistics sector – Ctrack index

By: Irma Venter 11th October 2023 The Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (CTFI) retreated further during August, to an index level of 118.8, the lowest since February, when it was at 116.7. This represents a 1.5% decrease. It is also the third consecutive monthly contraction, and serves as confirmation of the ongoing strain the... →

Ministerial meddling in SOE leadership sparks dysfunction – BLSA

By: Darren Parker 9th October 2023 Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso has voiced her concern over Ministerial meddling in State-owned enterprise (SOE) leadership decisions. “Good governance starts with a board being able to hold the executive management to account. To do that, the board needs to have... →

Rail industry needs all hands on deck if it is to be saved – industry association

By: Darren Parker 6th October 2023 The resignation of Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) CEO Siza Mzimela just days after Transnet group CEO Portia Derby announced that she will be stepping down has highlighted the urgent need for key stakeholders across the industry to come together to craft the solutions necessary to save the country’s... →

African Rail Industry Association CEO Mesela Kope-Nhlapo

TFR undertaking initiatives to address constraints, outgoing CEO says

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 5th October 2023 Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), as a division of Transnet, is affected by three major constraints hampering the entity; however, there are initiatives under way to mitigate this and some progress is being made to rectify the considerable challenges, outgoing TFR CE Siza Mzimela said on October 5.... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Transnet Freight Rail is facing a shortage of operational locomotives owing to unavailability of parts and spares for maintenance

Johannesburg bridge collapse: Safety MMC says it was a 'disaster waiting to happen'

By: News24Wire 5th October 2023 The City of Johannesburg's MMC for Public Safety, Mgcini Tshwaku, warned that the collapse of a pedestrian bridge on Wednesday would have turned into a major disaster if it occurred during peak hour. The bridge, owned by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), collapsed while people... →

Transnet rail CEO Siza Mzimela has resigned

By: News24Wire 5th October 2023 The CEO of Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) Siza Mzimela has resigned. Mzimela sent out a letter to staff on Thursday reminding them of the progress made in the past three years, thanking them for their service, and urging them to not give up the fight to make TFR work. →

Wagons of coal being transported to port by rail

Business, govt collaboration showing signs of success in addressing multiple crises

By: Marleny Arnoldi 4th October 2023 Business is working to add more than 10 GW of generation capacity to the electricity system by the end of next year, which would effectively end loadshedding in South Africa, Sasol president and CEO Fleetwood Grobler said on the first day of the Joburg Indaba on October 4. Speaking in his... →

Photo by Bloomberg
Energy Council of South Africa chairperson and Sasol CEO Fleetwood Grobler

East London handles first shipment of export manganese

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 3rd October 2023 The East London port received its first export manganese call on October 3 when vessel MV BBG Leader docked to load 30 000 metric tonnes at the East London Multipurpose Terminal. In preparation, Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) delivered 16 manganese trains to the terminal since July this year, with... →

Vessel MV BBG Leader

'There is just zero engagement': City of Cape Town won't back down in fight for railway control

By: News24Wire 3rd October 2023 The City of Cape will not back down from its fight with the national government to devolve railways to capable metros. So says Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, who spoke to journalists shortly after addressing stakeholders at the Urban Mobility Summit, which kicked off on Tuesday at DHL Stadium. →

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis

Gauteng must play a key role in advancing smart mobility – Lesufi

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 2nd October 2023 Smart mobility is a pivotal part of achieving the government’s Vision 2030 plan and Gauteng must play a leading role in this, especially with its transition towards a digital economy, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi emphasised on October 2. He was delivering the keynote address on the second day... →

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi

Bad weather causes major disruptions on TFR’s Cape Corridor

By: Darren Parker 27th September 2023 State-owned rail company Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has announced that it is experiencing significant disruptions to rail services on some parts of the Cape Corridor as a result of severe weather conditions in the region over the long weekend. TFR noted on September 27 that the Caledon branch... →

Roadmap to ‘fundamentally reform’ freight logistics sector by end of October

By: Terence Creamer 27th September 2023 Government has committed to finalise a Freight Logistics Roadmap, outlining a sequenced set of actions to fundamentally reform the logistics system, by the end of October. The commitment was made at a meeting of Cabinet members and senior business leaders held at Discovery Place in Sandton on... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa alongside Discovery CEO Adrian Gore at a joint government-business meeting at Discovery Place, Sandton.

New Gautrain Management Agency CEO announced

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 22nd September 2023 Tshepo Kgobe has been named the next CEO of the Gautrain Management Agency (GMA), succeeding William Dachs, who will step down when his tenure ends on January 31. Kgobe is an engineer with diverse technical expertise in infrastructure, energy, mining and the railway environment. At the start of... →

City of Cape Town to launch dispute mediation process on PRASA devolution, service standards

By: Irma Venter 22nd September 2023 Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the city is briefing its lawyers to launch an intergovernmental dispute on passenger rail devolution and service standards. Hill-Lewis says the city has been unable to form a joint devolution working committee with national government as it attempts to... →

Five more Western Cape rail corridors targeted for recovery – PRASA

By: Irma Venter 22nd September 2023 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) says it has, to date, recovered eight lines in the Western Cape following the complete collapse of service during the Covid-19-pandemic. Six of the lines in the Western Cape are operating using the new blue electric motor units, otherwise known as... →

Transnet says indebted companies are behind the calls for its CEO’s removal

By: Bloomberg 21st September 2023 South Africa’s beleaguered state ports and rail company deepened its feud with the private sector, accusing business chambers of intimidation because they owe it money. A September 12 letter from a business chamber in Durban, the site of Africa’s biggest container port, to the minister of public... →

Transnet CEO Portia Derby

Empowered group keen to see Gautrain run by South Africans from 2026

By: Martin Creamer 20th September 2023 The Strategic Partners Group (SPG) is the empowerment partner in the Gautrain, the rapid rail link owned by the Gauteng provincial government and run by the Bombela Concession Company (BCC). When the current concession expires in 2026 will SPG continue to be a Gautrain participant, is the... →

Strategic Partners Group executive chairperson Mzolisi Diliza interviewed by Engineering News’ Martin Creamer. Video: Darlene Creamer.

R575m Goodwood social housing project gearing up for its first tenants

By: Irma Venter 20th September 2023 Tenanting is set to begin in November on the 330-unit first phase of the Goodwood social housing megaproject, which will, once completed, provide affordable rental opportunities to more than 1 000 Cape Town residents and their families. All 1 000 units will be completed by mid-2024. →

Image of the Goodwood social housing development in Cape Town

The Goodwood development

Rail link to Port Elizabeth port damaged by rough seas

By: Schalk Burger 18th September 2023 Transnet Freight Rail's (TFR's) rail link into the Port of Port Elizabeth has been heavily damaged by rough sea conditions that caused a wash-away of the track formation on September 16. This is impacting on the transport of manganese to the port for export, as train movements have been... →

Road freight growth subsiding, rail sector struggling – Ctrack index

By: Irma Venter 15th September 2023 The Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (Ctrack TFI) retreated further in July to an index level of 120.8, the lowest level this year since March’s 120.5. This represents a decrease of 1.2% during the month of July. →

Considerable challenges hampering TFR's performance, but interventions under way

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 14th September 2023 There are myriad of challenges plaguing State-owned rail operator Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), ranging from infrastructure and security to skills shortages; however, several interventions are under way to mitigate this – but it will take time to successfully implement these. This was a key theme... →

A locomotive owned by Transnet Freight Rail

Cape Town to launch dispute on PRASA devolution, service standards

By: Irma Venter 7th September 2023 Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the city is briefing its lawyers to launch an intergovernmental dispute on passenger rail devolution and service standards. Hill-Lewis says the city has been unable to form a joint devolution working committee with national government, as it attempts to... →

Transnet posts big financial loss

By: Creamer Media Reporter 7th September 2023 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses State-owned Transnet's financial and operational results; the response of government and the new Transnet chairperson; and potential developments in the months ahead. →

Transnet posts big financial loss

Bombardier to pay Transnet R468m to settle dispute over State capture locomotive deal

By: News24Wire 7th September 2023 Bombardier Transportation SA has agreed to pay Transnet a total of R468-million to settle a long-running legal dispute over a locomotive supply contract. Transnet, in turn, will release withheld penalties worth R92.4-million in favour of Bombardier, a subsidiary of French train giant Alstom. The... →

Three-year contract for rail turnout sets awarded to voestalpine VAE SA

By: Creamer Media Reporter 6th September 2023 Railway infrastructure solutions provider voestalpine VAE SA (VAESA) has been awarded a three-year contract by Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) to supply turnout sets and turnout components, which are mechanical devices used to guide trains from one rail track to another. No contract value has been... →

VAESA CEO Pulane Tshabalala Kingston

Road freight growth subsiding; rail sector struggling – Ctrack index

By: Irma Venter 4th September 2023 The Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (Ctrack TFI) retreated further in July to an index level of 120.8, the lowest level this year since March (120.5). This represents a decrease of 1.2% during the month of July. →

Image of the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (Ctrack TFI) for July

The July Ctrack Transport and Freight Index

New Transnet chair hints at possible equity injection as group slumps to R5.7bn loss

By: Terence Creamer 1st September 2023 New Transnet chairperson Andile Sangqu has indicated that the troubled State-owned freight logistics group, which has hitherto prided itself on being financially self-sufficient, may require and equity injection to implement a turnaround strategy that is currently under development. The group... →

Transnet chairperson Andile Sangqu

Five more Western Cape corridors targeted for recovery – PRASA

By: Irma Venter 31st August 2023 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) says it has, to date, recovered eight lines in the Western Cape following the complete collapse of service during the Covid-19-pandemic. Six of the lines in the Western Cape are operating using the new blue electric motor units, otherwise known as... →

PRASA's new blue trains – Isitimela Sabantu

Draft Freight Logistics Roadmap promised by year-end

By: Terence Creamer 28th August 2023 A new ‘Freight Logistics Roadmap’ is currently undergoing an internal government consultative process for publication before the end of the year, the latest Operation Vulindlela progress update confirms. “The roadmap will incorporate proposals to resolve the immediate operational challenges while... →

Durban Container Terminal Pier 2

Transnet rail ops hit by protest action as new and improved security solution is adopted

By: News24Wire 24th August 2023 Three of Transnet's rail lines have been impacted by what is believed to be sabotage, amid protests by disgruntled security personnel over a new outcomes-based security contract. In the face of rampant criminality that has been impacting its operations, Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) on 1 August... →

Lenders amend, increase AMSA funding facility

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 23rd August 2023 Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) and its subsidiary AMRAS have concluded the amendment and restatement of a facility with HSBC Bank Johannesburg Branch, Absa Bank and other lenders. The facility was also increased from R3.5-billion to R4.5-billion. →

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