TFR expects borderless train service to Maputo to raise commodity export tonnages
South Africa’s Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) is preparing to materially increase the number of weekly trains operating on that component of its North East Corridor that transports export commodities through Mozambique’s Maputo port.
Once commercial agreements for a so-called ‘borderless’ train service have been finalised with Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM), TFR expects to increase the number of weekly trains carrying chrome from 12 to 21, and those carrying magnetite from 17 to 28.
The rail operator is also preparing to increase the number of trains moving rock phosphate and coal through Maputo.
The two rail operators signed an in-principle agreement in February to enable the uninterrupted passage of freight trains between the two countries, following joint pilots of the run-through model over a period of more than nine months.
“Through this pilot phase, the two rail operator companies clearly demonstrated that the run-through model was a more efficient operating proposition, with great potential to make rail a more competitive option on this channel,” TFR chief commercial officer Bonginkosi Mabaso tells Engineering News & Mining Weekly.
The North East Corridor, which also includes a service to Richards Bay, has hitherto involved pre-inspection events at multiple points on the network to Maputo, while crew and traction changes (from electric to diesel and vice versa) have also resulted in significant delays and extended turnaround times.
“The borderless service will see two inspections – at point of origin and destination, one traction model throughout the roundtrip and no locomotive changes in Komati.
“This will significantly reduce transit and cycle times,” Mabaso says, while refraining from offering specific volume and cost guidance.
He reports that no final date is available for the start of the service “as commercial agreements are under discussion currently”.
The corridor’s performance has also been affected by a limited availability of locomotives, owing to the absence of maintenance contracts with suppliers and a protracted impasse over the supply of spare parts for locomotives supplied by Chinese company CRRC.
In February, TFR reported that there were 356 so-called long-standing locomotives, including 164 CRRC locomotives.
TFR has reached settlement agreements with its other locomotive suppliers with which it is also entering into maintenance contracts.
However, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan will travel to China this month in an effort to “fast-track the delivery of locomotives and spare parts by Chinese State-owned CRRC e-Loco Supply to Transnet”.
If Gordhan fails, TFR will need to find an alternate source of spares supply for the CRRC locomotives.
Under such a process, which will involve another original-equipment manufacturer stepping in to provide spares and maintenance, it is expected that it will take about 24 months before the first CRRC locomotive can be reinstated.
A deal with CRRC should see the first long-standing locomotives returned to service within about six months.
Comments
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation