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Rail News

Van der Merwe to lead establishment of Gauteng Transport Authority

By: Irma Venter 18th April 2019 Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) CEO Jack van der Merwe will, in the short term, steer the establishment of the Gauteng Transport Authority (GTA), says Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Dr Ismail Vadi. ‘Short term’ refers to a period of six months. Van der Merwe will remain in his position as... →

Transnet to meet OEMs this month in bid to reach settlement on ‘unlawful’ locomotive contracts

By: Terence Creamer 12th April 2019 State-owned logistics group Transnet will, during the course of April and May, seek to secure “just and equitable” negotiations with the four original equipment manufacturers supplying it with 1 064 diesel and electric locomotives under a R49-billion procurement programme concluded in 2015.... →

Nzimande instructs PRASA board to improve the reliability of trains

By: African News Agency 12th April 2019 Transport Minister Blade Nzimande has instructed the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) board to improve reliability of trains and trains cancellations by 60% and 41% improvement respectively. This comes after a meeting Nzimande had with PRASA which was prompted when president Cyril... →

Traxtion showcases new Rosslyn-based locomotive maintenance, refurbishment facility

10th April 2019 Private locomotive and rail operation Traxtion last month showcased its new maintenance and refurbishment facility, in Rosslyn, as part of the company’s plans to increase its capacity to provide locomotive rebuild and overhaul services for Africa. Simone Liedtke, who attended the event, tells us... →

Traxtion showcases new Rosslyn-based locomotive maintenance, refurbishment facility

President Ramaphosa vows to improve failing rail service

By: African News Agency 9th April 2019 South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa has committed himself to improving the rail transportation industry which has been criticised in recent years for poor and inefficient service. Ramaphosa, who visited Cape Town central train station on Tuesday morning, said: "I went onto a train in... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Ramaphosa visits Prasa about rail improvements

By: News24Wire 9th April 2019 Not long after experiencing what rail commuters go through daily, President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to meet the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa in Cape Town. The meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday, is expected to focus on Prasa's efforts to improve commuter services and stimulate... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Transnet sets new weekly manganese record

By: Simone Liedtke 8th April 2019 State-owned Transnet Freight Rail on Monday announced that it had achieved a new weekly throughput record of 335 812 t of manganese, beating its previous record by 6 362 t. The record was achieved in week two of the 2019/20 financial year and compares with a target of 290 794 t for that week. →

TPT sets its focus on African port concession opportunities

By: Shirley le Guern 5th April 2019 State-owned Transnet aims, through its Transnet International Holdings entity, to leverage its expertise to secure port concessions across the African continent. Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) growth and diversification senior manager Dr Darren Fraser told a special interest group gathering under... →

TPT CE stresses need for faster turnarounds of vessels, trains

By: Shirley le Guern 5th April 2019 It would no longer be business as usual at the Port of Durban, Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) CE Nozipho Sithole told the Transport Forum’s special interest group meeting, in Durban, on Thursday. Conceding that TPT was not yet where it wanted to be in terms of efficiency, consistency or... →

Transnet execs seek balance between efficiency improvements, growth opportunities

By: Shirley le Guern 5th April 2019 It is not about pouring concrete and spending, it is a war of efficiency, Transnet group executive of new business growth and diversification Herbert Msagala told a select special interest group convened at the Transport Forum, in Durban, on Thursday. In what he ultimately labelled an “honest and... →

Transnet group executive of new business growth and diversification Herbert Msagala

TMH Africa unveils rolling stock factory in Boksburg

By: Marleny Arnoldi 2nd April 2019 Railway engineering company TMH Africa on Tuesday unveiled its 45 000 square metre rolling stock manufacturing facility, in Boksburg, Gauteng. →

Photo by Creamer Media's Dylan Slater
TMH dignitaries alongside Gauteng Premier David Makhura unveil rolling stock manufacturing facility, in Boksburg

Gauteng paves way for the Gauteng Transport Authority

By: Irma Venter 1st April 2019 The Gauteng provincial government has adopted the Gauteng Transport Authority Bill. The Bill provides for the creation of a transport authority across the Gauteng city region, incorporating the provincial Department of Roads and Transport and various municipal transport administrations. →

Photo by Dylan Slater
Ismail Vadi

Corporatisation the next step for minibus industry, suggests MEC Vadi

By: Irma Venter 29th March 2019 The next step in the evolution of South Africa’s minibus taxi industry should be corporatisation, says Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Dr Ismail Vadi. “Making it a business is the next step and not just necessarily formalising the industry.” →

Transnet awards Gijima IT contract following High Court order

By: Marleny Arnoldi 29th March 2019 Transnet has issued JSE-listed information and communications technology company Gijima a letter of intent (LoI) to enter into a five-year information technology (IT) data services contract, valued at R1.3-billion. Transnet said the LoI issuance was a decision taken following thorough... →

PRASA's beefed up security in the Cape yields results

By: News24Wire 28th March 2019 A year after the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) in the Western Cape took on more security resources to stem the tide of criminality on trains, their data shows tangible progress is being made. In 365 days, security personnel responded to 258 incidents which resulted in 347 arrests. →

Nzimande rebuts Cape Town passenger rail takeover plan

By: Marleny Arnoldi 27th March 2019 Transport Minister Dr Blade Nzimande has rebutted the City of Cape Town’s appointment of rail experts to assist with a takeover plan for passenger rail in the city. African News Agency on Tuesday reported that Cape Town had announced that it was evaluating four tenders for the exercise and that... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Transport Minister Blade Nzimande

Traxtion unveils new facility to provide locomotive rebuild, overhaul services for Africa

By: Simone Liedtke 26th March 2019 Private locomotive and rail operator Traxtion on Tuesday showcased its new maintenance and refurbishment facility, in Rosslyn, as part of its plans to increase its capacity to provide locomotive rebuild and overhaul services for Africa. The facility is on the third phase of a planned eight-phase... →

Taxtion CEO James Holley speaks to Engineering News Online about the launch of Traxtion's refurbishment facility, which will be used to provide locomotive rebuild and overhaul services to customers across the African continent. Video & Editing: Nicholas Boyd

Cape Town seeks rail experts to assist with takeover plan for passenger rail

By: African News Agency 26th March 2019 Cape Town said on Tuesday it would appoint a team of rail professionals to assist its transport directorate with business plans to take over passenger rail management from the national government. It said it was evaluating and assessing four tenders for the exercise and that the rail experts,... →

Ramaphosa demands action on Prasa turnaround

By: African News Agency 21st March 2019 President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered Transport Minister Blade Nzimande to urgently resolve the problems facing South Africa's rail commuter transport system, a statement from the presidency on Thursday said. Ramaphosa met with Nzimande on Tuesday following the president's train ride on Monday... →

Gauteng launches 2019 travel survey to assist with transport planning

By: Irma Venter 20th March 2019 The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (DoRT) has launched a general household travel survey (GHTS) to assist it in determining travel needs and patterns within the province. The last survey was conducted in 2014. →

Photo by Dylan Slater
Dr Ismail Vadi

Kenya, France collaborate on new Nairobi railway line

By: African News Agency 19th March 2019 A French consortium will build a new railway line linking Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and the central business district within the next two years, according to a report on Tuesday. The commuter rail, complemented by a Rapid Bus Transit System are expected to greatly... →

Public-Private Growth Initiative identifies 18 ‘priority projects’ to unlock growth

By: Terence Creamer 18th March 2019 The Public-Private Growth Initiative (PPGI), an evolving sector-based collaboration between government and business, has earmarked 18 projects across various sectors of the South African economy for priority implementation in the coming months. Minister in the Presidency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma... →

Minister in The Presidency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma speaks, while Dr Johan van Zyl, Mpumi Mpofu and Roelf Meyer listen

Ramaphosa stuck in train with commuters

By: African News Agency 18th March 2019 President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday experienced first hand the daily struggles of commuters after being stuck for hours on a train with disgruntled commuters while on the election campaign trail. Ramaphosa and the commuters boarded the train at Mabopane Station in Pretoria before 08:00. The train... →

Transnet gives small businesses a leg up in KZN

By: Marleny Arnoldi 15th March 2019 State-owned freight utility Transnet, in attendance of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, on Friday launched an enterprise development megahub for small businesses and entrepreneurs in Empangeni, in KwaZulu-Natal. The hub will assist small businesses, aspirant entrepreneurs and... →

PRASA places four execs on special leave

By: Marleny Arnoldi 15th March 2019 The State-owned Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has put company secretary Lindikaya Zide, chief information officer Chris Mbatha, corporate real estate solutions CEO Tara Ngubane and suspended enterprise risk GM Tumi Mohube, on special leave, in light of continued allegations of... →

Vadi urges Soweto commuters to use alternative transport

By: African News Agency 14th March 2019 Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi on Thursday urged Soweto commuters who rely on the Nancefield Dube West Taxi Association (Nanduwe) and Witwatersrand Taxi Association (Wata) to make alternative transport arrangements. This in anticipation of the planned closure of taxi ranks and routes... →

Financial loss of train coaches totals more than R600m since April 2018

By: News24Wire 13th March 2019 The total financial loss of train coaches from April 2018 due to aging stock, vandalism, theft and derailment amounted to more than R630-million, Transport Minister Blade Nzimande said. In a written reply to a question from DA MP Manny de Freitas, Nzimande shared how many train coaches of... →

Collaboration, safety awareness to mitigate railway fatalities

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 8th March 2019 The Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) hopes to collaborate with all stakeholders that have direct or indirect interactions with rail systems to mitigate fatalities associated with railways. These stakeholders include the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), the South African Police Service... →

MADELEIN WILLIAMS The RSR aims to educate and conduct public awareness activities relating to safe railway operations

Event aims to contribute to development of African rail

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 8th March 2019 Global events company Terrapinn will host the twenty-second annual Africa Rail exhibition and conference to contribute to the development of the rail sector across Africa, says Terrapin business development manager Athena Maharaj. She tells Engineering News that there will be a big focus on... →

INTERNATIONAL ATTENDANCE Attendees from more than 70 countries are expected at Africa Rail

Rail safety important for future of public transport

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 8th March 2019 Rail should ensure that it is a public-transport mode of choice by considering the importance of delivering a service to commuters which is available, punctual and safe, says Gautrain Management Agency CEO Jack van der Merwe. “Public transport in South Africa is a mode of force – people don’t use... →

RAIL Availability, punctuality and safety are key to the rail industry

Modernisation improves railway travel experience

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 8th March 2019 Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is making huge strides to modernise its passenger railway to improve the experience of passengers. “Not only are we starting to receive delivery of the modern trainsets but the implementation of the infrastructure programme is also under way, which... →

Photo by Creamer Media
DEVELOPMENTS The new signalling system will create an environment for in-cab signalling and levels of automatic train protection

Investments in infrastructure projects set to improve rail industry

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 8th March 2019 The future of rail infrastructure in South Africa is bright and bold as government has set an ambitious target to have the fifth largest railway network globally, says multidisciplinary engineering consulting firm WSP Africa Infrastructure and Transportation division director Vishaal Lutchman.... →

VISHAAL LUTCHMAN The National Transport Master Plan will invest R751.74-billion in infrastructure projects until 2050, with 43% earmarked for the rail sector.

Western Cape transport department gets more than R200m more for road, rail safety

By: African News Agency 6th March 2019 The department of transport and public works has been allocated more than R200-million of the Western Cape medium term expenditure framework (MTEF) to address and improve road and rail safety. The 2019 MTEF allocation of additional R255.500-million will address public transport requirements for... →

PRASA interim CEO Sithole resigns

By: African News Agency 28th February 2019 The board of the state-owned Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) said on Thursday it had accepted the resignation of interim group CEO Sibusiso Sithole. Sithole had been at the helm of the organisation for nine months before what the board called a mutually agreed separation. →

Multipronged approach needed for traffic congestion – City of Cape Town

By: News24Wire 27th February 2019 Population growth and a deteriorating train service were among the reasons Capetonians gave for the lengthy periods of time they were stuck in traffic in 2018, the City of Cape Town said. According to the INRIX 2018 Global Traffic Scorecard, motorists in South Africa's oldest city lost 162 hours... →

Transnet sets up war room to combat infrastructure-theft surge and line sabotage

By: Terence Creamer 22nd February 2019 Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has set up a war room together with the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) in a bid to deal with a surge in infrastructure theft, as well as recent acts of sabotage and vandalism on its key coal corridor from Ermelo, in Mpumalanga, to Richards Bay, in KwaZulu-Natal. On... →

Aveng to sell Infraset to Colossal Africa Consortium

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 18th February 2019 JSE-listed Aveng has entered into a binding term sheet for the sale of the Aveng Infraset businesses, comprising the South African division and the Infraset business of the foreign subsidiaries of Aveng Africa, to the Colossal Africa Consortium. Infraset was identified as a noncore asset during... →

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