Railways Africa's Activity RSS Feed
-
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: HIGH-SPEED RAIL 2 days, 8 hours ago
Three routes have been identified by the National Department of Transport (DoT) for possible high-speed rail development – Johannesburg-Durban, Johannesburg-Cape Town, and Johannesburg-Musina.
According to DoT director-general George Mahlalela, the necessary feasibility studies are to be put in hand, starting with the Durban-Johannesburg route. A team is to commence work in October “with the dual process [...] -
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: TRANSNAMIB WAGE NEGOTIATIONS 2 days, 13 hours ago
Negotiations between TransNamib management and workers went into recess towards the end of August but were expected to resume early in September. Employees are asking increases of between 12 and 13% for categories A1 to A3, B1 to B4, and C. Other demands include transport allowances, increased medical aid contributions, increased housing allowances, and long-service [...]
-
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: UMGENI STEAM’S GREAT RACE 2 days, 13 hours ago
On Saturday 28 August, Umgeni Steam Railway (USR) participated in its first “Great Train Race” in association with Lions International and NOSA. Passengers were able to board the train at Kloof, departing at 12:00 midday to Inchanga, where the 27.5km relay race was scheduled to start at 14:00. Athletes competed against the train to [...]
-
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: CITADEL TAKES CONTROL OF RVR 2 days, 13 hours ago
According to East African Business Week (published in Kampala), the restructuring exercise of the Rift Valley Railways (RVR) consortium, which operates the Kenya and Uganda railways, has been completed.
This development gives Citadel Capital a controlling stake in the new company Rift Valley Railways International (RVRI), the entity that owns 100% of each of the Kenya [...] -
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: GAUTRAIN NUMBERS SURPASS EXPECTATIONS 2 days, 13 hours ago
All predictions of Gautrain ridership were greatly exceeded in the system’s first month of operations, with 400,000 people using the newly opened airport line during the time the Fifa Soccer World Cup was in full swing. System operator Bombela had expected around a third of that number during June. Chief executive Jerome Govender told the [...]
-
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: ABUJA RAIL: 18,000 JOBS 2 days, 13 hours ago
According to project engineer for the 77km Abuja Rail Mass Transit Tony Agwaniru, about 18,000 jobs will be provided to Nigerians on completion, of whom some 10,000 will be permanent and 8,000 casual. Special adviser to the general manager at the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Leo Yin said the Nigerian federal government has [...]
-
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: PORT ALFRED STATION 2 days, 13 hours ago
Port Alfred station, endpoint of the 69km line from Grahamstown – closed since 1993 – has been handed over to the Hospitality Youth Initiative. The building is reportedly “looking good”. The branch was opened originally by a private company in 1884. The principal feature on the railway is the Bloukrans bridge, 56m above the river. [...]
-
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: TETE COAL MINING 2 days, 13 hours ago
Significant rail and port infrastructure upgrades are envisaged in the short to medium term future in Mozambique (and South Africa) as a result of coal-mining licences expected to be awarded in Tete province. Media reports quote Arvind Khare, CEO of Companhia dos Caminhos de Ferro da Beira (CCFB) as noting that a new coal terminal [...]
-
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: SOUTH AFRICAN RAIL ANNIVERSARIES 2 days, 13 hours ago
The 150th year commemoration of the Point to Durban railway and the centenary of the unified railways in South Africa are to be celebrated on Heritage Day, Friday 24 September 2010. The 150th commemoration has been officially accepted as part of the Celebrate Durban Halala Ethekwini Festival. Umgeni Steam Railway is planning a [...]
-
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: MOLOTO CORRIDOR 2 days, 13 hours ago
National Department of Transport (DoT) director-general George Mahlalela says the long-mooted commuter rail corridor between Tshwane and Moloto, which may be developed jointly with the provincial governments of Gauteng and Mpumalanga is “priority number one” among all new rail lines currentl on the drawing board. At present government spends R350 million annually in subsidising workers’ [...]
-
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: HIGH-VALUE CARGO SWITCHES TO RAIL 2 days, 13 hours ago
Rail transport of high-value cargo to Richards Bay, Durban and Dar-es-Salaam has become very competitive, says Chris Chipimo, operations director of Bridge Shipping in Ndola, Zambia. “Around 80% of exports of copper now go by rail – either containerised or in covered wagons,” he explains. “This is a 180 degree shift, as previously about 80% [...]
-
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: RICHARDS BAY COAL LINE 1 week, 1 day ago
South Africa’s main coal terminal, which is expanding to become the world’s largest, will assign capacity to junior miners in line with the upgrade of the railway lines leading to the port, Reuters reports.
“Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) is due to expand its export capacity to 91 million tonnes by the end of this year [...] -
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: UGANDA SIGNS BRANCHLINES INTO DEAL 1 week, 2 days ago
On 25 August, Ugandan finance minister Syda Bbumba signed a revised agreement on the Kenya-Uganda railway concession, the Daily Monitor reports:
“The agreement ends a bitter continental fight over the network, which pitted Ugandan and Kenyan businessmen jostling with Egyptian investors to replace the South African firm that originally won the 25-year concession over the
railway line. [...] -
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: TUNISIAN HIGH-SPEED LINE 1 week, 2 days ago
Tunisia is planning to invest $US5.5 billion over the next decade in the development of a high-speed rail link with Morocco, Algeria and Libya. Despite having a rail network covering more than 2,100km, operational efficiency is hampered by gauge differences and limited electrification.
Less than 10% of the country’s freight is carried on rail, a [...] -
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: CHINA-SOUTH AFRICA RAIL AGREEMENT 1 week, 2 days ago
From SA government information service Buanews:
“Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele today signed a ground-breaking agreement on railways and other transport-related matters with Chinese Railway Minister Liu Zhijun. Ndebele is part of a South African delegation in China led by President Jacob Zuma during his three-day state visit.
“He said through rail, South Africa could move from [...] -
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: EAST AFRICAN STD GAUGE PROJECT 1 week, 2 days ago
According to press reports, “it is now emerging that the logistics needed for the planned East African standard gauge railway network will pose enormous challenges. These are however outweighed by the opportunities.”
All five members of the East African Community have agreed in principle to build the lines in their territories. Construction of the regional railway [...] -
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: MCLI AT MAPUTO STATION (100 THIS YEAR) 1 week, 2 days ago
At the end of September, the Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative (MCLI) is hosting its annual general meeting and open network event at the Maputo railway station which celebrates its centenary this year. Some 400-600 stakeholders in the shipping, freight, freight clearing and forwarding, services sector, logistics, transport, port
operations, cargo owners, financial institutions, industry associations, [...] -
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: OUTENIQUA CHOO-TJOE TERMINATING 1 week, 2 days ago
From the SA Tourism Update news briefs, 26 August:
“Transnet Limited has announced that the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe train service operating between George and Mossel Bay will be terminated. Transnet said that it identified the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe service as one of its non-core assets in 2007. Following extensive studies and stakeholder consultation, the company decided to follow [...] -
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: EAST AFRICA NEEDS $25 BILLION 1 week, 2 days ago
East Africa needs to raise up to $US25 billion, or nearly two-thirds of Kenya’s annual output, over the next decade to upgrade its railways in order to boost trade, Reuters reports, quoting the East African Community’s (EAC) deputy secretary-general for infrastructure and planning Alloys Mutabingwa:
“We are talking about the railway master plan which is expected [...] -
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: GAUTRAIN CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS 1 week, 2 days ago
Gautrain’s Sandton-airport branch has been fully operational since 8 June 2010. The stations at OR Tambo International, Marlboro and Rhodesfield are complete and operational. Feeder bus services are running to connect with trains at Sandton, Marlboro and Rhodesfield stations. Four-coach trains running until 20:30 comprise – for airport travellers – two “airport” cars whose doors [...]
-
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: HOLIDAY PLANS DERAILED 1 week, 2 days ago
Cape Argus 22 August 2010:
By Warda Meyer – “A Newlands couple’s dream train trip to Johannesburg and the Kruger National Park has been derailed following a decision to temporarily discontinue the long-distance passenger train service. And a couple from Cornwall planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Cape Town also had their plans upset.
“Tim and Pam [...] -
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: LIBYAN RAILWAY CONTRACTS 1 week, 2 days ago
The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, general contractor responsible for building 1,300km of the new rail network in the west of Libya, has awarded contracts worth €115 million for the supply of rail fastenings and turnouts to the German company Vossloh. Deliveries will be made between 2010 and 2012. There have been no railways in [...]
-
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: HOW TO DEAL WITH SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS 1 week, 2 days ago
From Western Cape Metrorail, newspaper “Blits”:
“Metrorail use the following communication channels to inform commuters in cases of service interruptions.
• Text alerts: Commuters are encouraged to register via e-mail (metrosms@metrorail.co.za) for SMS alerts free of charge. Currently some 20,000 commuters are already recipients of alerts. Metrorail aims to get one in seven commuters registered so they are [...] -
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: TRANSNET DEPLORES PRASA ALLEGATIONS 1 week, 2 days ago
Suspension of Shosholoza Meyl long-distance passenger train services by the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) was blamed by executives on the alleged inability of Transnet to service and repair locomotives. Transnet says the allegations are “misleading, false and defamatory”.
Tumisang Kgaboesele, special adviser to Prasa CEO Lucky Montana, said that Transnet had refused to certify [...] -
Railways Africa wrote a new blog post: GAUTRAIN PROGRESS: MARLBORO-DEPOT-MIDRAND 1 week, 2 days ago
Between Marlboro station, where the airport branch diverges from the route to Pretoria, the maintenance depot and Midrand Station, all construction works and bridge structures, including Viaduct 3 crossing Allandale Road, are complete, as are all railway installations.
Midrand Depot
The operations control centre, together with the train and bus depot [...]
