Latest 2010 Media Releases
Iron Ore Line Derailment
The iron ore line will re-open for train traffic at 18:00 tonight. This follows the derailment of a loaded iron ore train (342-wagon RDP train) at 16:00 on Thursday 22nd July 2010 just outside Vredendal.
There were no injuries or fatalities. Of the 342 wagons, 107 wagons derailed. 2 locomotives derailed and were seriously damaged (1 diesel and 1 electrical locomotive). There was also extensive damage to the overhead track equipment, rail track, bridge and rolling stock.
Engineers and repair teams have worked around the clock and all repair work to the bridge, overhead track equipment and railway track that were damaged as a result of the derailment has been completed.
Almost all the iron ore that spilled in the dry river bed below the bridge on which the train partially derailed has been removed. Although the iron ore is a non-toxic metal, to ensure best practice and compliance, representatives from the Department of Environmental Affairs are working in conjunction with Transnet Freight Rail Officials on a rehabilitation programme for the site.
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Blue Train Scoops Africa’s Leading Luxury
Train Award
The Blue Train, yesterday, 7 July 2010, was voted as Africa’s Leading Luxury Train at The World Travel Awards held at the Sandton Convention Centre.
Votes were cast by 183,000 travel professionals who include travel agencies, tour and transport companies as well as tourism organizations in 162 countries across the globe.
This esteemed event, known amongst its industry players as the ‘Oscars” of the world travel and tourism, serves to stage celebrations to acknowledge companies across the globe for their contribution to world-class travel & tourism.
For over half a century South Africa’s Blue Train has enjoyed an international reputation as one of the world’s pre-eminent luxury rail- cruise experiences. Traversing South Africa’s varied landscapes the train combines all the comfort and luxury of a five-star hotel with a globally unparalleled journey.
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Transnet Announces End of Strike
Transnet is pleased to announce that it has settled the three-week long strike following the signing today of the wage settlement agreement with Satawu.
In terms of an addendum to the pay increase deal agreed and signed with Utatu, the majority union at Transnet, last Friday, we have created a once-off incentive which will be payable to all bargaining sector employees on June 27th 2010. This settles the wage dispute and ensures the remaining striking workers return to work as early as tomorrow (Friday, May 28th 2010).
Mr Wells (Acting CE of Transnet) says:
“Now that the dispute which led to the strike is behind us, I wish to thank all the substantial number of dedicated staff who have kept critical commodity flows moving at levels of efficiency, safety and productivity that have made us all proud. Our rail and pipeline teams have kept the jet fuel supply at capacity and the supply of petroleum by our pipelines to the inland market continued as normal. The port teams have worked hard to bring in every ship and handle every Fifa-related container delivered to our ports and move priority containers.
“We have also managed to move many other priority commodities, and we are working day and night to reduce the backlog. As an example, the efficiency in the Durban Container Terminal moved up to world class levels on certain shifts (such as 30 gross crane moves per hour)”.
During the strike, our rail freight teams have delivered all the required coal to Eskom. “Our engineering teams have kept our fleets safe and repaired damage as a result of sabotage in record time. With skeleton teams, the rehabilitation, maintenance and engineering unit has worked around the clock to clear derailments and deliver on the maintenance requirements on
the ore line.
South Africa owes these employees a debt of gratitude for their heroic and selfless contribution in keeping our services operational during the strike”, says Mr Wells.
TFR to boost Limpopo
Transnet Freight Rail is set to reduce the cost of transportation of fruit in Limpopo from R1.9 billion to R1.7 billion over the next five years. This is provided that TFR gains 35% of the fruit producers transport share. This in turn will reduce the number of road trucks annually transporting citrus fruit to the Port from 55 000 trips to 32 000 which will drastically reduce the carbon footprint of citrus from 56 million tons of CO2 to a more acceptable 25 million tons.
This exciting news follows collaborative partnership discussions between TFR and the Departments of Road and Transport, Agriculture and Economic Development in Limpopo.
The Province is responsible for 30% of the country’s citrus and 45% of South Africa’s Valencia exports. Freight Rail transported a mere 5% of this in 2009. “Increased road transportation costs, congestion on the roads as well as the deteriorating state of some of the roads have necessitated a re-think on how best to enhance the profitability of the agricultural sector in Limpopo and rail is in a position to do just that”, said Themba Gwala, TFR General Manager, Container and Automotive business.
Transnet Freight Rail’s corridor focused approach, its integration with the Ports as well as its ability to support intermodal growth by consolidation, access and transhipment has seen the Company gain market share in this highly competitive industry. “The growth of rail-based container volumes supports the National interest because it alleviates congestion on the national road network and reduces the cost of logistics in South Africa”, said TFR acting Chief Executive Tau Morwe,.
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Overhead Cable Theft Causes
Serious Disruptions to Rail Service
Cable thefts in the Sentrarand complex, on the Natal corridor and the Eastern corridor (which incorporates the export coal line) on Tuesday, the 16th February 2010 seriously disrupted Transnet Freight Rail’s traffic flow between Johannesburg and Durban; the export coal line from Ermelo to Richard’s Bay; and Bethlehem to Harrismith. The commodities affected varied from cement, coal, iron ore, cars, and container traffic and also included passenger trains.
The theft of overhead cables on the rail line has reached unprecedented levels, with an average of 10 trains cancelled per day due to cable thefts. The direct cost to the company (replacement cost for cable only) is more than R42 million per year and the consequential losses due to the knock on effect runs into many millions more.
This hurts not only TFR and its customers but South Africa as a whole, because when consignments fail to reach their international destinations on time the country’s reputation suffers because overseas markets view us as unreliable and inefficient and could switch to other suppliers.
The consequence of cable theft is not limited to financial losses but can also result in human disaster and tragedy. Cable thefts also often lead to the destruction of Freight Rail assets such as locomotives and wagons and can cost the company millions of rands in repairs and replacement.
Transnet Freight Rail’s “production floor” is the entire South Africa and the Company is faced with the challenge of having to secure some 20 000 km of rail track. The Company runs some 800 trains per day with more than 8 000 loaded wagons on this network.
The sheer size of this operation calls for meticulous planning and what is not often appreciated is the implications on operations following overhead cable theft. Each incident necessitates re-planning and re-allocation of resources which lead to delays for which TFR pays the ultimate price in reputation damage.
Nonetheless hot-spots have been identified, several syndicates arrested and innovative technology applied, such as replacing the overhead copper wire cables with tiger wire which doesn’t have a high resale value. The Company is also working closely with the criminal justice system to ensure that the full might of the law is applied to those found guilty.