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 19 February 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
“Our new port at Coega is well-placed to be the midway between the large ships from the east to offload at that port and then return back and with short sea shipping up the coast of Africa or inland to South Africa,” Transnet acting chief executive officer Chris Wells told Parliament’s communications portfolio committee on [...] [...more]
Posted on 12 February 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
ASK, based in Sophia Antipolis, has been selected by the Bombela operating company to provide a contactless, smartcard automatic fare collection (AFC) system for Gautrain. It is partnered in this South African enterprise by Ideco, which will provide project support and post-personalisation service. The AFC system will provide convenient access to railway, feeder bus and [...] [...more]
Posted on 05 February 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Metrorail suburban passenger services in central Gauteng were badly disrupted from Monday 25 January by striking employees. Members of the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) refused to work as scheduled in terms of a new roster, claiming this constituted a unilateral change in the employees’ conditions of employment and would result in [...] [...more]
Posted on 22 January 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Full system trial operating of Gautrain trains is to begin in March on the section between Sandton station and the OR Tambo International Airport. According to spokesperson Dr Barbara Jensen, the Bombela consortium is expected to complete ten-week trial runs here in May. Although, in terms of the contract, the completion date for the project’s first [...] [...more]
Posted on 15 January 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
GE Transportation has signed a contract with Transnet in South Africa to supply 100 new diesel-electric locomotives. Ten units are to be built in Erie and Grove City, Pennsylvania. In addition, 90 locomotive kits – also manufactured in Pennsylvania – will be sent to South Africa for assembly to meet localisation requirements stipulated in the [...] [...more]
Posted on 14 December 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
GE Transportation has been selected as the preferred bidder to supply 100 diesel locomotives to Transnet Freight Rail (TFR). An initial tender for 212 locomotives was issued on 18 September 2006. In August 2007, Electromotive Diesel (EMD) of the USA was named as preferred bidder in a contract said to be worth R6 billion. [...] [...more]
Posted on 12 December 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Tubular Track (Pty) Ltd recently completed a successful project for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). “We were subcontracted to deviate the existing Metrorail lines at Burnett Street in the heart of Pretoria, to accommodate the new Gautrain line, which is to run alongside at this location,” the company’s contracts director Craig Tengstrom [...] [...more]
Posted on 21 November 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
The Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe has resumed service on the George-Mossel Bay line. Western Cape MEC for finance, economic development and tourism Alan Winde travelled on the inaugural journey, accompanied by provincial officials, MP Marius Swart and MP Johan Gelderblom, Transnet Foundation head Cynthia Mgjijima, Transnet officials and tour operators. Winde and Mgjijima said it was a [...] [...more]
Posted on 13 November 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
(Based on a Transnet article) The Saldanha-Sishen line, Transnet Freight Rail’s (TFR) export iron ore corridor, forms the backbone of the company’s growth strategy. The potential of Saldanha Bay as a deep sea port lay dormant until 1969, when feasibility studies recognised it as the perfect setting for launching South African iron ore onto the world market. Construction [...] [...more]
