TFR: goods by rail is growing

[John Ashworth]

GOODS BY RAIL IS GROWING

On September 4, 2012 Railways Africa

Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) was running 1,200 trains a day at the end of 2011 – up from 700 in January. These impressive figures were among those quoted by Transnet CEO Brian Molefe when he addressed the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber in Port Elizabeth early in August. Freight that has been moved away from road trucking includes coal for Eskom power stations, liquids now being carried by the multi-product pipeline, and a substantial amount of container traffic. The parastatal’s market demand strategy will lower the cost of doing business in South Africa by an equivalent of 0.5% of the gross domestic product, Molefe claims. In all, he says, the total supply cost of rail is 23% less than that of road.