Safety promoted in North Corridor railway shutdown

Communities along the north corridor railway line are urged to exercise caution and vigilance amid ongoing maintenance on the export line.

Commenting on the 10-day shutdown, North Corridor Acting Managing Executive of Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) Theo Johnson said, “The primary objective of the shutdown is to ensure long-term reliability, availability, safety, and velocity of the railway network to support the rail recovery plan objectives and meet customer demand.”

The north corridor is a heavy haul export line that stretches across North-West’s Mpumalanga coalfields to the Port of Richards Bay. The maintenance work on the line began last week on Monday and will end on Thursday, 1 August.

Johnson said the annual shutdown presents several opportunities including temporary employment for local communities and business opportunities for small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs).

It comes amid ongoing efforts to increase capacity, turnaround time and improve exports.

Meanwhile, the Richards Bay terminal said due to rail not being available during the shut, affected industries will continue to bring cargo to the Port of Richards Bay via Road Motor Transport (RMT) to service planned vessels.

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