According to Mozambique deputy fisheries minister Gabriel Muthisse, the government intends to lift capacity significantly on the Sena line from Moatize to Beira. At present the route cannot carry much beyond 3 million tonnes of coal per annum. Once current work between Beira and Dondo is finished in July or August 2012, it is expected that capacity of six million tonnes a year will be achieved.
[Muthisse is quoted saying that this figure is to rise to 12mta by the end of 2012. This seems over-optimistic, to say the least. – Editor: Railways Africa.]

Original article [Railways Africa]

Speaking on behalf of the government of Mozambique, deputy fisheries minister Gabriel Muthisse said rehabilitation of the railway from Beira to Machipanda, on the border with Zimbabwe, is well advanced. The aim is to double the present capacity of three million tonnes per annum to six. He added that the transport ministry is looking into the possibility of raising the capacity of the Machipanda line to 25 million tonnes a year in the longer term. “This however will only make economic sense if Zimbabwean use of the line increases dramatically, which in turn depends on a sustained period of economic recovery and growth in Zimbabwe.”

Original article [Railways Africa]

Speaking on behalf of the government of Mozambique, deputy fisheries minister Gabriel Muthisse said all state employees (including those on the railways) are to receive a 6% flat-rate wage increase in 2012. This will apply across the board to all categories. State pensions will also increase by 6%.

Original article [Railways Africa]

A proposal in parliament for new rail lines linking Windhoek to Rehoboth and Okahandja, in order to reduce the death rate on the roads, could not be followed up without a comprehensive feasibility study to determine financial and economic viability, says the Namibian ministry of works and transport, which points out there are existing lines along these routes.

Original article [Railways Africa]

According to Nigerian Railways Corporation managing director Adeseyi Sijuwade, the recently acquired tank wagons are only part of the rolling stock that is needed. It is intended to order
more passenger coaches and container wagons, at the same time rehabilitating existing coaches and wagons.
Sijuwade speaks of substantial demand for freight rail service from potential customers, such as the Nigeria Flour Mills, Dangote Group and Lafarge Wapco.
Lafarge Wapco is already moving products from Lagos to Ilorin and plans to establish a large depot in Minna, to be the hub of its distribution network in the north.

Original article [Railways Africa]

According to the Tanzania Daily News (published in Dar es Salaam), five departmental heads in the Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) have been suspended. They are the chief mechanical engineer, the managers of marketing, traffic, finance and information/communication. They stand accused of “occasioning loss to Tazara and administrative irregularities that perpetuate protracted animosity between the management and workers”. The decision was taken on 25 April after minister for transport Omar Nundu visited Tazara headquarters where he convened an emergency meeting with the administration and later addressed workers on measures taken by the government to address their problems.
Chairman of the Tazara board Omary Chambo was quoted saying that managing director Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika and his deputy Damas Ndumbaro remain “untouched” until further notice, pending consultation with relevant authorities. The suspension of two more officials has been ordered – the commercial head and the senior freight officer.
According to Chambo, all officials implicated in allegations of misuse of funds are to be disciplined.

Original article [Railways Africa]

Gautrain Management Agency CEO Jack van der Merwe, widely quoted recently as expecting the line to Park station to be open in April (later he said May), now says it will stay closed. The rate of water leaking into the tunnel still exceeds specification and he wants that corrected. Apparently the extent of leakage beneath the track has been dealt with but he says the walls remain a problem. While the work done may be sufficient to make train operation feasible, he says the tunnel has to last 100 years and he doesn’t see this happening unless leakage is brought within the specified limits. In one place, the ingress is said to exceed this four times. Van der Merwe is also concerned about the demands placed on the pumps that have to deal with the water, which could shorten their life-expectancy. Apart from that, permanently damp conditions cannot be good for sophisticated electronic equipment. There are other potential concerns – the water table could drop, prejudicing the environment and vegetation above the tunnel. Clay conditions might cause instability. If, for instance, golf courses were detrimentally affected, the provincial government could be exposed to claims.
[Opening of the line south of Sandton is now more than a year behindhand in terms of the contract, which means concession-holder Bombela is losing revenue on a substantial scale. Contractor Murray and Roberts is already blaming contract interpretation for financial loss on the project. What is it all going to end up costing, and for whose account? - Editor: Railways Africa.]

Original article [Railways Africa]

Peter Sinclair:
“Purely by chance, yesterday [27 April] we got the chance to ride the new Franschhoek tram. Having celebrated our granddaughter’s 21st birthday with lunch in the old station, now doing business as a pub/restaurant, we all took a walk to the Franschhoek Wine Cellar where the tram is staged behind security fencing.
“We were just in time to meet David Blythe, the man behind the initiative, who was ready to depart on a test run with wife and another as level crossing flagmen. Our party was promptly invited to go along for the ride, and very impressive it was too.
“The old station is still intact and well looked after, and though the platform area had been sheeted over to increase seating capacity, the façade still maintained the dignified air of the dowager that she is. The face brickwork alone is a work of art, now lost in the mists of time and expedience. We understood that the tram will run from the station, which is good news, and a quick look as we walked up-line to the cellar revealed no obstruction that would be impossible to overcome. The track looks to be in good shape, still apparently intact, and the ride was good. The fact that the line was originally laid on steel sleepers has turned out to be its saviour. A lot of work is still to be done, but progress looks encouraging.
” We went only as far as the oblique crossing of the main road intoFranschhoek, before turning back. Level crossings are obviously going to be treated with great respect, as it will take only one incident of stupidity to scupper the whole enterprise. There are a fair number of major crossings, and a dozen or more farm crossings.”

Original article [Railways Africa]

Peter Bagshawe reports:
TFR auction #29 closes on Thursday 3 May 2012.
http://www.go-dove.com/event-16547/Transnet-Freight-Rail-Sale-29
“The sale includes 1 locomotive, 18 coaches, 550 wagons (including 42 narrow gauge), containers and sundry other items. Around half the wagons are being sold without bogies (some are being sold ‘without wheels and bogies’ – which rather strangely implies that the wheels from those to be sold just ‘without bogies’ are included in the sale).
“The locomotive is 35-332 at Bloemfontein (Lot 22), derailed and stripped (no engine for instance) and being sold without bogies.
“The coaches comprise 1 service coach (14822) at Coligny (Lot 6), being sold with bogies, and 17 coaches at Bloemfontein (Lot 23), all being sold without bogies (but with wheels?). These are all in the old maroon and grey livery and are mainly E2 second class coaches.
“An interesting item is a shunter wagon (type VLJ13), without bogies (Lot 1). It is situated at Potchefstroom, although lettered as ‘Shunter Wagon Klerksdorp’. From the photographs it looks as if it is in good condition.
“The final wagon lot (Lot 31) is for 42 wagons from the closed Port Shepstone-Harding narrow gauge line. They are situated at Port Shepstone, Izotsha, Izingolweni, Nqabeni, Bongwana and Harding. One wagon is quoted as being at Paddock, but I am pretty certain that this wagon is actually at Harding. This does not seem to cover all surviving ACR wagons, and it is believed that TFR have in fact offered some wagons directly to preservationists (not for free though). The most interesting wagon on the list is one of two fitted with tread-steer trucks. This is 401 (shown incorrectly as 101-A in the Lot details) which derailed near Izotsha in August 1998 and was never recovered. Recently, this wagon suffered from ‘unofficial scrap merchants’, and was cut into pieces. From the photo it can be seen that at least one of the tread-steer axles survives.”

Original article [Railways Africa]

If Transnet Freight Rail equalised rates on all corridors irrespective of the distances covered, it would attract “huge amounts of cargo …and increased volumes would more than compensate for the rate reduction.” The assertion came from freight forwarders and logistics providers at the recent Transport Forum in Stellenbosch.

Original article [Railways Africa]