African Track-laying venture launched

[John Ashworth]

AFRICAN TRACK LAYING VENTURE LAUNCHED
Railways Africa
Friday, 05 December 2008

Tracklaying and maintenance joint venture Isithimela Rail Services was officially launched on 21 November.

Isithimela is a partnership between Bombardier Transportation and the local black economic empowerment company Strategic Partners Group (SPG), an organisation formed by 12 organisations and individuals representing the interests of “a large spectrum of previously disadvantaged individuals”.

During the event, Gauteng MEC for Public Transport, Roads and Works, Ignatius Jacobs the MEC launched and renamed two specialised tracklaying machines.

The Plasser Switch and Crossing Tamper 08/275 3S was renamed Isithimela I, while Plasser Plain Line Tamper 09/32 CSM was renamed Isithimela II.

“Both machines are being used on the project to set the track horizontally and vertically as well as to combat (sic) the ballast beneath and around the concrete sleepers,” the government’s BuaNews explained.

Isithimela will be responsible for tracklaying on the Gautrain project, and plans to bid for similar work elsewhere in Africa.

The Gautrain subcontract is valued at R800m, and it is intended that Isithimela will be responsible for track maintenance during the 15 year operational period of the Bombela concession. Isithimela has laid 7km of track at the depot in Midrand already, and work on the 80km main-line has commenced.

More than 230 jobs have been created, the company says, the majority of the employees being local. Bombardier has seconded specialist staff from the UK to “transfer knowledge”, and Isithimela has taken delivery of two Plasser & Theurer 08/275 3S and 09/32 CSM tampers.

“Isithimela's objective is to build capacity to enable it to execute the trackwork subcontract on the Gautrain and to optimally position it for further business opportunities outside the Gautrain project”, Isithimela chairman David Moshapalo explains, “Our goal is to tender for other trackwork contracts on the African continent.'”

Bombela Concession spokesperson Kelebogile Machaka told BuaNews that “Isithimela will be the first company to lay 1,435mm or standard gauge track (which is typically used for international high speed rail tracks) in sub Saharan Africa.”

[ First south of the Sahara except for Mauritania, Liberia, Nigeria’s Central Line and the Trans-Gabon Railway... – editor: Railways Africa. ]