Posted on 10 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
“A key problem on our roads is the massive migration of freight – very heavy freight – onto the road system. That’s freight that should be on rail,” Deputy Transport Minister Jeremy Cronin said at an infrastructure development cluster media briefing. ”We’ve really got to improve, very significantly, the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) system. We [...] [...more]
Posted on 10 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Peter Bagshawe reports – 10 lots comprising 427 wagons were sold. 9 lots comprising 173 wagons and 1 coach were closed (either no bids received or reserve price not reached). [...more]
Posted on 09 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Rovos Rail is discontinuing its Cape Town – George – Cape Town trips. The last run was scheduled for the weekend 5/6/7 March. The website no longer displays a Garden Route itinerary and lists no further operational dates after March. The second last run was on 5/6/7 February. The company explains that the route was never [...] [...more]
Posted on 09 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
According to Shosholoza Meyl (SM) staff members quoted in the SA Railway Society Natal Newsletter, an internal SM newsletter has reported “massive Iosses”. Unless “very substantial” government financial assistance is forthcoming, long distance passenger trains may have to be discontinued before 2012. [...more]
Posted on 09 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Although, for practical purposes, the railway south of Pietermaritzburg together with its branches has been closed, the Creighton enthusiast group hopes to run a series of excursions to Underberg behind its class 19D 4-8-2 during winter. The class GMA, too, may see some running, the SA Railway Society Natal Newsletter reports. Together with other interested [...] [...more]
Posted on 08 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Botswana Railways (BR) procurement manager Mogwena Mookodi told Engineering News that it is intended to add 160 open salt wagons to its fleet for carrying bulk salt in Southern Africa. Trains will start at Botswana Ash (Botash) and continue through to the Durban harbour in South Africa, conveying export traffic destined mainly for the UK, [...] [...more]
Posted on 08 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
During February, the government of Tanzania resolved to revoke the three-year-old, 25-year railway concession management contract with Rail India Technical and Economic Services (Rites), but this decision has been reversed in the face of “inherent contractual difficulties” whose consequences would be devastating – mainly in financial respects – to Tanzania. Ministry for infrastructure development Shukuru Kawambwa [...] [...more]
Posted on 08 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
STEAM Stabled, steam sheds: 19 Museum : 7 Mothballed: 14 Awaiting museum: 1 Scrapped: 7 Proposed for scrapping: 2 In service: 9 ELECTRIC Stabled at Dabuka: 25 DIESEL In Service: Eastern area (Lochinvar): 31 Midlands area (Dabuka): 21 Southern area (Mpopoma): 27 In shops under repair (Bulawayo): 7 (Mutare): 6 Shop shunting (Mutare): 1 (Bulawayo): 1 In shops awaiting repairs (Bulawayo): 34 (Mutare): 24 Mothballed: 3 Scrapped: 9 EFFECTIVE FLEET: 114 Diesel: 89 Steam: 8 Electric: 17 [...more]
Posted on 01 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
According to Grindrod Freight Services CE Dave Rennie, quoted in Engineering News, Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has between 550 to 600 wagons allocated to the Maputo corridor running east through Komatipoort, but he would like to see this figure increased by a further thousand. His organisation is currently in talks with TFR, mainly aimed at [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Brazil’s prominent Vale corporation is pushing ahead with a $US1.3 billion project to develop the Moatize coal mine in Mozambique and expects to start production of coking coal for export late in 2011. At the recent Coaltrans South Africa conference held in Sandton, South Africa, Vale’s finance general manager Fabio Bechara was quoted saying that [...] [...more]
