Posted on 31 August 2010
South Africa’s main coal terminal, which is expanding to become the world’s largest, will assign capacity to junior miners in line with the upgrade of the railway lines leading to the port, Reuters reports. “Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) is due to expand its export capacity to 91 million tonnes by the end of this [...] Continue Reading...
Posted on 20 August 2010
On Sunday 26 September, Friends of the Rail will be running a special steam train from Hermanstad (Pretoria) to Cullinan and return. This is to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first public train to run in South Africa (Durban to the Point in 1860). The September run, double-headed by class 19D and 24, will [...] Continue Reading...
Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
On 25 August, Ugandan finance minister Syda Bbumba signed a revised agreement on the Kenya-Uganda railway concession, the Daily Monitor reports: “The agreement ends a bitter continental fight over the network, which pitted Ugandan and Kenyan businessmen jostling with Egyptian investors to replace the South African firm that originally won the 25-year concession over the [...] [...more]
Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Tunisia is planning to invest $US5.5 billion over the next decade in the development of a high-speed rail link with Morocco, Algeria and Libya. Despite having a rail network covering more than 2,100km, operational efficiency is hampered by gauge differences and limited electrification. Less than 10% of the country’s freight is carried on rail, a [...] [...more]
Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
From SA government information service Buanews: “Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele today [25 August 2010] signed a ground-breaking agreement on railways and other transport-related matters with Chinese Railway Minister Liu Zhijun. Ndebele is part of a South African delegation in China led by President Jacob Zuma during his three-day state visit. “He said through rail, South [...] [...more]
Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
According to press reports, “it is now emerging that the logistics needed for the planned East African standard gauge railway network will pose enormous challenges. These are however outweighed by the opportunities.” All five members of the East African Community have agreed in principle to build the lines in their territories. Construction of the regional [...] [...more]
Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Gautrain’s Sandton-airport branch has been fully operational since 8 June 2010. The stations at OR Tambo International, Marlboro and Rhodesfield are complete and operational. Feeder bus services are running to connect with trains at Sandton, Marlboro and Rhodesfield stations. Four-coach trains running until 20:30 comprise – for airport travellers – two “airport” cars whose doors [...] [...more]
Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
At the end of September, the Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative (MCLI) is hosting its annual general meeting and open network event at the Maputo railway station which celebrates its centenary this year. Some 400-600 stakeholders in the shipping, freight, freight clearing and forwarding, services sector, logistics, transport, port operations, cargo owners, financial institutions, industry associations, [...] [...more]
