South Africa's Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and its Mozambican counterpart Caminhos De Ferros De Mocambique (CFM) have agreed that the seamless operation of trains between the two countries will be expanded to chrome and ferrochrome flows at three trains a day from September 1.
The first phase of run-through trains from South Africa to TCM Maputo, in Mozambique, has yielded a 23% increase in magnetite volumes – a drastic improvement, despite various disruptions on the rail line, including the closure of the line owing to security disruptions and recent derailments, TFR reports.
This more efficient rail service will improve the train cycle time by about 23% and grow volume on rail by about 230 000 t, it adds.
"The successes achieved on this route demonstrate the intrinsic value of meaningful collaboration between the two national railway operators. This gives credence to what can be achieved when railway operations are not stifled by disruptions due to incessant cable theft and the shortage of locomotives, as experienced on other major routes to the East Coast supporting the vast Mpumalanga and Limpopo minerals deposits," TFR states.