Rail boost for vehicle manufacturers
A TOTAL of 350 new-generation automotive wagons are being manufactured by Transnet to serve the rail freight needs of Eastern Cape vehicle manufacturers.
Transnet chief executive Brian Molefe, delivering a public lecture at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University business school, said the strikes in the automotive industry had given the parastatal “a breather” to reduce the wagon backlog.
“The strikes are an unwelcome interruption for the production of vehicles but at the same time it gives our Transnet engineering division an opportunity to build more wagons for the growing operational needs of the automotive industry.”
On average, outside the “strike season”, six wagons a week carried vehicles from the Eastern Cape to Gauteng. The industry in the Eastern Cape had requested that this be increased to seven a week.
New-generation wagons would carry up to eight cars on covered double-decker platforms. “We are launching the new wagons on November 5.”
Molefe recommitted Transnet to moving the petrochemical plant between Kings Beach and Port Elizabeth Harbour to the Port of Ngqura at Coega in the 2016-2017 financial year.
Transnet would, in five years, complete a bulk manganese terminal at Ngqura, to allow for the moving of the manganese site next to the harbour to Ngqura.
“Ngqura is the fastest-growing port in the world and grew by 84% last year. It is set to become the trans-shipment hub of Africa, and . . . will have four berths and a liquefied natural gas facility.”
An additional R 26-billion would be invested in the Eastern Cape economy in the next seven years, for the upgrading of infrastructure at harbours and rail hubs.
“There is no reason why local compa-
‘ We are launching the new automotive wagons in November
nies cannot be contracted for these infrastructure projects. We have a 60% localcontent requirement for the components we use to build our locomotives. We also take on 2 000 artisans a year. We want to promote local entrepreneurship and create jobs,” Molefe said.
Asked about Transnet’s involvement in promoting the tourism industry, Molefe said operations such as the Blue Train had become profitable again, and the Transnet National Ports Authority accommodated cruise liners at all ports.
“However, this is not our core business. While we are sympathetic to the cries for the reinstating of the Knysna Choo-Choo and Apple Express, we need to focus on our core business. It will take R200-million to get the Choo-Choo up and running again, and interest groups simply do not have this kind of money.
“We are looking into the possibility of restoring the Apple Express route for agricultural purposes.”