voestalpine VAE SA Enhances Rail Efficiency with Turnout Set Deliveries for Transnet Freight Rail’s Key Coal Export Corridors

In 2023, voestalpine VAE SA (Pty) Ltd, a leading provider of railway infrastructure solutions, was awarded a three-year contract by Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) to manufacture and supply turnout sets and components. This award is a testament to VAE SA’s commitment to delivering high-quality railway products and services that enhance South Africa’s rail network.

“The award of this contract reinforces our dedication to supporting and advancing the rail infrastructure of South Africa. Our partnership with Transnet Freight Rail reflects the confidence placed in our expertise and the capabilities of our world-class facility,” said Sizwe Mkhize, Business Development Officer at voestalpine VAE SA.

The turnout sets and components for this contract are manufactured at VAE SA’s state-of-the-art Isando facility in Johannesburg, the only one of its scale in sub-Saharan Africa. This facility is fully equipped to meet TFR’s demands as specified in the contract, alongside those of other customers throughout the Southern African region. Significant efforts have been made to ensure a secure supply for customers, recognising the critical importance of reliability in railway infrastructure.

At the time, the award marked the first substantial turnouts contract to be successfully awarded in the past five years.

Turnouts are a critical component of modern railway infrastructure, enabling trains to change tracks smoothly without needing to stop. They allow for re-routing to avoid congestion, delays, or maintenance work. Additionally, rail turnouts facilitate the creation of sidings, which are essential for freight trains to pass each other on single-track lines.

Interestingly, at the time of the announcement in 2023, VAE SA had already supplied TFR with 18 complete turnout sets. These were installed in July during the annual shutdown of the coal line that runs from Lephalale in Limpopo, through Mpumalanga, to the Port of Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal. The turnouts were installed on the Ermelo, Vryheid, Ulundi, and Richards Bay lines. As of January 2023, the coal line had several clamped turnouts, significantly impacting coal mining companies’ ability to export their coal. The replacement of 18 turnouts has been a game-changer, drastically improving cycle times and overall turnaround time in the TFR Ermelo yard, ultimately halving the total cycle time.

In the second year of this contract, voestalpine VAE SA is set to supply 350 turnouts.

This year, the coal line shutdown, or rather the North Corridor shutdown, which typically occurs in July, was moved to August. A maintenance shutdown is conducted over 10 days, during which the entire line is closed to ensure that all suppliers can access the network and perform the necessary maintenance and replacement work safely. This includes civil works, track formation work, sleeper replacement, tamping and ballast replacement, transformer refurbishment, replacement of points machines, turnout refurbishment and replacement, weighbridge calibration and replacement, gantry signalling, and OHTE work. These efforts aim to lift speed restrictions and allow additional trains to operate on the line safely. The focused maintenance ensures the line is returned to standard and avoids future failures.

“The Ermelo yard is the largest coal export yard in the country, handling every train that comes from the mines. This vital hub supports approximately 150 million gross tons per annum,” added Mkhize. “Our work in replacing turnout sets in this corridor plays a significant role in ensuring smooth operations, which are crucial for South Africa’s coal export economy.”

The capacity and tonnage of the entire corridor are supported by 20 turnout sets supplied by VAE SA, spanning Ermelo, Vryheid, Empangeni and Richards Bay. When planning, the full sets are considered alongside individual components, as sometimes only specific parts need replacing to get a set back in operation. Speed restrictions are often imposed if a set is not fully functional. The replacement of the one in-twelve 60kg rail turnout at Ermelo required a full set replacement, involving the removal of the old set, ballast, and formation.

In total, VAE SA supplied:

• 1:20 Turnouts: 16
• 1:12 Turnouts: 9
• 1:9 Turnouts: 4

Individual components were dispatched to the site, including steelware, concrete parts, clips and pads. Typically, the new turnout is built on-site, replacing the old one with the help of specialised equipment like the DESEC and PemLem machines. Additionally, specially designed wagons are used to transport the turnout sets to the site, where they are installed directly.

Previous Next

It’s important to note that building a turnout set on-site can be challenging, especially if the set involves complex configurations. Ensuring all components are correctly placed is critical.

Proper project management is crucial for ensuring materials, personnel, and equipment arrive at the correct site on time. Safety is paramount and requires effective collaboration among the client, corridor managers, and suppliers, particularly under pressure. Adhering to safety protocols ensures seamless operations and avoids incidents, including near misses. At voestalpine VAE SA, we take immense pride in our safety performance.

The Isando facility has a rich history, having been acquired 26 years ago by voestalpine Railway Systems, a subsidiary of the voestalpine group—a distinguished Austrian-listed metal company renowned as the global leader in turnout technology. In 2021, Mirai Rail Corporation, a black woman-owned company, acquired a majority shareholding in VAE SA