Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM), a division of Transnet SOC Ltd, and Grindrod Limited have marked a major rail reform milestone with the successful completion of Grindrod’s first test train on the North-East Corridor.
The operation commenced in Komatipoort on 1 November with the empty leg, and returned on 2 November with 2 991 metric tons, making Grindrod the first private Train Operating Company (TOC) to operate on South Africa’s national freight rail network under the country’s open-access framework.
The milestone follows the signing of Rail Access Agreements with 12 Train Operating Companies (TOCs), including Grindrod, and marks the culmination of extensive safety, regulatory and operational readiness processes required to enable third-party operations on the network.
“The successful completion of this test train is a landmark achievement for South Africa’s rail reform programme. It demonstrates that open access is no longer a policy concept but an operational reality.
“Through collaboration with private operators such as Grindrod, we are creating a more competitive and efficient rail network that supports economic growth and strengthens South Africa’s logistics capability,” TRIM Chief Executive Moshe Motlohi said in a statement on Tuesday.
The operation utilised Grindrod-owned locomotives and wagons and demonstrated the company’s readiness to commence services on the corridor.
Grindrod plans to begin commercial operations in 2027, transporting approximately 288 000 tonnes in its first year.
Using its two allocated slots on the North-East Corridor, the company will primarily move coal from Mpumalanga to Grindrod’s Matola Terminal in Mozambique.
Grindrod Limited Group Chief Executive Officer Kwazi Mabaso said the milestone is important for the company and the transformation of South Africa’s freight logistics sector.
“As an integrated logistics provider, the ability to combine rail operations with our terminal infrastructure and corridor footprint enables us to deliver greater efficiency, reliability and value to our customers. We are proud to partner with TRIM in demonstrating the practical benefits of rail reform and helping restore rail as the backbone of bulk freight transport,” Mabaso said.
TRIM is the custodian of South Africa’s rail infrastructure. It is responsible for managing, maintaining and developing the national network and for facilitating access by Train Operating Companies under the open-access framework.
The successful test train highlights the progress being made through the collaborative efforts of government, Transnet and private sector participants to modernise South Africa’s rail network. – SAnews.gov.za
Source: Original report at SAnews.gov.za.
