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 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
The theft of overhead cables had reached “unprecedented levels”, with an average of ten trains cancelled each day as a result of cable theft, Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has said. “The direct replacement cost is more than R42 million every year and the consequential losses, owing to the knock-on effect. runs into many millions more,” [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
A good 80% of companies taking part in this year’s Barloworld logistics supply-chain foresight survey said that under 10% of their goods are transported by rail. No less than 46% of the companies surveyed thought they might use rail for more than 20% of their freight – if “adequate” railway capacity existed. Nearly half the [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Fifa secretary-general Jerome Valcke, according to a Sapa-AP report quoted by Rob Harris at iol.co.za, says South Africa isn’t ready yet to host the World Cup, and he still doesn’t know where all the teams will be based during the tournament. “With barely three months until the event starts, organisers still face problems with Soccer [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
The South African government’s BuaNews information service quotes transport minister Sibusiso Ndebele saying his department is “on track to help South Africa deliver a successful 2010 FIFA World Cup. Ndebele was quoted after chairing a meeting on 23 February at which the MECs from all nine provinces tabled their progress reports on transport infrastructure readiness. “Over [...] [...more]
