The yearly shutdown of State-owned Transnet Freight Rail’s (TFR’s) iron-ore rail line is planned to start on September 26 and end on October 5.
The maintenance window presents an opportunity for the entity to catch up on maintenance backlogs, such as replacing old and obsolete infrastructure, while accelerating the major capital expansions in line with the expected volume growth on the iron-ore line.
The infrastructure upgrades and maintenance activities will be executed over the 861 km section from Sishen to Saldanha Bay.
The scope of work to be completed during the shutdown includes, the replacement of 58 000 sleepers, screening of 24.4 km of track, ballast tamping of 220 km of track, ballast regulating of 60 km of track, replacement of 5 km of catenary wire, as well as the replacement of 1 050 insulators and one bridge deck.
The shutdown work will result in the lifting of four temporary speed restrictions for a total length of 20.88 km, thereby improving network availability, the entity said on Monday.
The construction of the permanent bridge to replace the temporary bridge deck at Vredendal will continue throughout the shutdown, but it will be installed during next year’s shutdown.
Embedded in the shutdown plan is a safety strategy which has been formulated to ensure that project objectives are achieved without harm to people or damage to the environment as well as the equipment.
The strategy will also play a crucial part in ensuring that there are no incidents which could negatively impact on business.
A healthy infrastructure will support TFR’s scheduled railway operations and prepares the infrastructure to sustain the current and future volume growth in line with the Transnet 4.0 Strategy.