Port concessioning – Durban
To address the poorly performing Durban port, particularly Durban Container Terminal (DCT) Pier 2, the Department of Transport and Transnet’s operations divisions (Transnet National Ports Authority and Transnet Port Terminals) need to partner with a private terminal operator to upgrade the terminal. The DCT Pier 2 is Transnet’s largest container terminal. The tender to finalise…
read more >>National Rail Master Plan
After the release of the freight logistics roadmap, the National Rail Master Plan aims to set out a sustainable approach to strategic rail network planning and a long-term plan that informs future developments of rail in the country. The final National Rail Master Plan was expected to be delivered by October 2025.
read more >>Road to rail strategy
The FRRMP is a strategy that will lay out a road map of how government plans to shift cargo back to rail in the near future. A strategy framework has been accepted but not yet made public. However, funding gaps remain stark: government spends R42.4bn on roads but only R7bn on rail each year, leaving…
read more >>Establish Interim Rail Economic Regulatory Capacity (IRERC)
The IRERC has been established through a memorandum of understanding between the ministers of transport and public enterprises. It has demonstrated significant momentum, successfully managing the consultation process on Transnet’s Draft Network Statement published in March 2024. The final Network Statement was approved and published in December 2024, with differentiated rail access tariffs for the…
read more >>Pathway to 250Mt in rail volumes
The 193Mt served as an internal ‘stretch target’ beyond the official 170Mt goal for 2024/25. Transnet moved 161Mt by March 2025, showing progress from the 151.7Mt achieved in 2023/24. However, performance remains well below the 193MT stretch target and even the 170MT official target and, despite gradual recovery, remains well behind the record 226Mt in…
read more >>Corridor recovery teams
Corridor recovery teams (CRTs) have been established, which include Transnet’s managing executives, Operation Vulindlela, the Department of Public Enterprises, industry representatives and independent experts. These teams have developed delivery plans with specific actions and timeframes to achieve targeted freight volume increases. The CRTs are tasked to develop a detailed delivery plan to improve safety and security as…
read more >>Trannsnet Freight Rail rolling stock
TFR has experienced significant locomotive availability challenges, with 394 new generation locomotives standing idle due to derailments, collisions and a shortage of spare parts after the withdrawal of the OEM agreement. Since May 2024, Transnet Engineering has successfully returned 86 of these locomotives to service after securing support from alternative suppliers in Germany. The locomotive…
read more >>Transnet rail network security
The South African Railway Police force, established in 1934, was dissolved and integrated into the South African Police Service in October 1986. Theft and sabotage of railway lines, copper and other equipment have plagued Transnet and contributed significantly to the dysfunctionality of both cargo and passenger rail routes. The freight logistics roadmap calls for the…
read more >>Transnet Freight Rail scheduling system
TFR historically relied on tonnage-based dispatching, running trains only when sufficient traffic accumulated, which disrupted efficient utilisation of crews, locomotives and equipment while yielding inconsistent transit times. The concept of fixed scheduling was introduced on certain corridors in 2011, but comprehensive system-wide implementation remains part of ongoing efforts to modernise. After an extensive RFP process,…
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