Thirty-one written submissions were received on draft version 4.0 (2026) of Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager’s (TRIM’s) Network Statement by the 24 July 2026 deadline, following a stakeholder feedback session on 21 July.
In a statement issued on 3 September 2026, South Africa’s National Department of Transport described the submissions as substantive and said that sufficient time was needed to analyse them thoroughly.
The department said the volume and scope of the comments made further engagement with what it called “critical stakeholders” necessary. This engagement, it said, would help ensure that the issues raised were properly considered and addressed before the document was finalised.
Publication is expected before the end of September 2026, leaving less than four weeks from the date of the department’s statement. However, the department has not identified the stakeholders involved, disclosed the issues raised in the submissions or committed to a specific publication date.
A network statement is the document through which an infrastructure manager publishes the terms, conditions and charges on which operators may apply for access to the network. Until version 4.0 is published, the terms in force remain those of the version it is intended to replace.
