Posted on 31 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
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 [...] [...more]
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
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]
Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
From the SA Tourism Update news briefs, 26 August: “Transnet Limited has announced that the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe train service operating between George and Mossel Bay will be terminated. Transnet said that it identified the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe service as one of its non-core assets in 2007. Following extensive studies and stakeholder consultation, the company decided to [...] [...more]
Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
East Africa needs to raise up to $US25 billion, or nearly two-thirds of Kenya’s annual output, over the next decade to upgrade its railways in order to boost trade, Reuters reports, quoting the East African Community’s (EAC) deputy secretary-general for infrastructure and planning Alloys Mutabingwa: “We are talking about the railway master plan which is [...] [...more]
Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Cape Argus 22 August 2010: By Warda Meyer – “A Newlands couple’s dream train trip to Johannesburg and the Kruger National Park has been derailed following a decision to temporarily discontinue the long-distance passenger train service. And a couple from Cornwall planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Cape Town also had their plans upset. “Tim and [...] [...more]
Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, general contractor responsible for building 1,300km of the new rail network in the west of Libya, has awarded contracts worth €115 million for the supply of rail fastenings and turnouts to the German company Vossloh. Deliveries will be made between 2010 and 2012. There have been no railways in [...] [...more]
Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
From Western Cape Metrorail, newspaper “Blits”: “Metrorail use the following communication channels to inform commuters in cases of service interruptions. • Text alerts: Commuters are encouraged to register via e-mail (metrosms@metrorail.co.za) for SMS alerts free of charge. Currently some 20,000 commuters are already recipients of alerts. Metrorail aims to get one in seven commuters registered [...] [...more]
Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Suspension of Shosholoza Meyl long-distance passenger train services by the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) was blamed by executives on the alleged inability of Transnet to service and repair locomotives. Transnet says the allegations are “misleading, false and defamatory”. Tumisang Kgaboesele, special adviser to Prasa CEO Lucky Montana, said that Transnet had refused to [...] [...more]
