Transnet Freight Rail has announced the resumption of partial service on the rail line that links to South Africa’s primary coal export terminal. This comes after a temporary closure caused by a train collision that resulted in track blockage for four days.

By Telegram Reporter

Transnet announced on Thursday evening that the first line, line 2, leading to the Richards Bay coal terminal has been deemed safe for train passage.

The resumption of service on the second line, line 1, is anticipated to occur by Saturday. Both lines had been inoperable since Sunday morning due to a collision between two trains, exacerbating the existing challenges faced by mineral shipments caused by locomotive shortages, as well as the persistent issues of cable theft and infrastructure vandalism.

“Recovery crews have been working around the clock to restore operations on the line, following the accident in which two trains collided on Sunday, 14 January,” Transnet said in a statement.

Transnet, the state-owned freight operator, has been diligently working to clear the line from Mpumalanga to Richards Bay following a derailment on Sunday. The cause of the derailment has not yet been determined and is currently under investigation. A spokesperson for Transnet expressed optimism about the progress made so far and stated that they anticipated restoring full functionality to the line sooner.

In an interview with Business Report, Gavin Relly, CEO of the Road Freight Association, emphasised the significance of this event in revealing the vulnerabilities of the multi-ore line. He specifically highlighted the risks arising from outdated manual systems and insufficient operational control.

“The derailment will take some time to clear – at least a few days – which will have an effect on the pressure to send bulk ore by road,” said Relly.

According to Relly, conducting a comprehensive investigation is crucial to assess the extent of damage to the line and its related systems such as signalling and power supply. He however asserted that is more important is that the focus should be on preventing similar incidents from occurring again in the future.

He highlighted the need to ensure a secure electricity supply for all sectors of the line to prevent collisions like this, especially if load shedding was indeed a contributing factor as speculated by some media sources.