Railways Africa September 2011

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RAILWAYS AFRICA / FOREWORD

Foreword

The copyright on all material in this magazine is expressly reserved and vested in Rail Link Communications cc, unless otherwise stated. No material may be reproduced in any form, in part or in whole, without the permission of the publishers. Please note that the opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers of Rail Link Communications cc unless otherwise stated. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, neither the Editor, Publisher or Contributor can be held liable for any inaccuracies or damages that may arise.

3September 2011 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com

BARBARA SHEATPublisher / Railways Africa

PUBLISHERBarbara Sheat

EDITOR Rollo Dickson

DESIGN & LAYOUTGrazia Muto

ADVERTISINGKim Bevan

SUBSCRIPTIONS Kim Bevan

CONTRIBUTORSAndre Kritzinger

Antonio Teixeira

Bruno Martin

Eugene Armer

Hennie Heymans

Jacque Wepener

John Batwell

Thomas Åkerblad

Richard Grönstedt

Roderick Smith

ISSN 1029 - 2756

Rail Link Communications ccPO Box 4794 Randburg 2125

Tel: +27 87 940 9278

E-mail: [email protected]

Twitter: railwaysafrica

Website: www.railwaysafrica.com

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At Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), trains

running to schedule are the current fl avour

of the moment. The new scheme of things

was implemented several months back and

results to date are encouraging. So much

so there’ve been pats on the back from

parts of the mining industry, a perennial

source of dissatisfaction with rail service,

one from which kudos are praise indeed.

It’s an impressive-sounding strategy with an

inspiring ring to it, though it isn’t altogether

new. To tell the truth, it’s been promised

before. Spoornet senior strategy manager

Deidre Strydom - to take one example -

conceded at a 2006 Pretoria motor industry

conference that rail freight services

between Gauteng and the harbours were

‘’erratic at best’’, obliging manufacturers to

rely on road transport. “We are one of the

few countries that has not fully embraced

the concept of scheduled rail services,” she

was reported saying.

Commenting on this at the time, the

editor of Railways Africa pointed out:

“Successive Spoornet top managers have

been promising reliable, ‘predictable’,

scheduled freight rail service for at least

15 years. In 2005, Siyabonga Gama – then

Spoornet CEO – was talking about a fi ve-

year plan which had the aim of becoming a

predictable, fully-scheduled railway.”

Not too sure how long Spoornet years

used to be, but so what – here we are on

2011 and things aren’t looking bad at all.

Measurably more ore was moved on the

Saldanha line in the past few months, and

considerably more coal carried on the route

to Richards Bay. Crew morale is benefi ting,

Gama says, as drivers are told their work

hours and commitments well in advance.

The on-time concept, now that its success

has been demonstrated, is to be extended

progressively to other lines.

This isn’t, mind you, what one might call

reinventing the wheel. Once upon a time,

operating trains to timetable used to be

what railways were all about. For those of

us who can remember that far back,

it worked well. Admittedly, there were

apocryphal stories about passengers

welcoming trains arriving ten minutes early,

with gloomy staff spoiling the effect by

explaining: “Ja, but this is yesterday’s train!”

In some places, it was said, trains were

so punctual one could set one’s watch by

them, though I’m not certain that was ever

the case in Johannesburg – or Durban for

that matter. But even in the best families

overseas today (railway families that is)

trains that arrive within fi ve minutes of the

schedule are regarded as being on time.

Then there was that curious art unique to

timetable-compilers: no self-respecting train

ever arrived or left exactly on the hour.

One took the 7:31 to work and came home

on the 4:59. In those days, of course, one

went home for lunch too - on the well-

patronised 12:48.

We offer proven rail products with strong after sales service and support in the key markets of:

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Angola Orders From China 14

Oil Find Will Change Uganda 26

Africa Update

RAILWAYS AFRICA / CONTENTS

ContentsContents

Round The World With Gautrain In 50 Days 6

Brazil High-Speed Rail Suspended 8

Pete the Pundit 8

36

42

www.railwaysafrica.com

No To Saldanha For Manganese 32

SA Transport Infrastructure Conference 36

SA Rail News

The 150th Anniversary of the First Railway and the 10th Anniversary of the RailRoad Association of South Africa 44

Review

Report from Mozambique 42

Rolling Stock Restoration at Sanrasm 43

Railway Heritage

ROUND THE WORLD WITH GAUTRAIN IN 50 DAYSOn 20 September 2011, Gautrain completed fi fty days’ running

between Rosebank and Hatfi eld. Over 40 million passenger-

kilometres were recorded in this time – equivalent in the words of

Bombela Concession company spokesperson Errol Braithwaite to

about 1,000 times round the world.

Punctuality of 97.8% was achieved despite setbacks such as

cable theft and power failure. By way of comparison, Braithwaite

mentioned that 94.9% punctuality was notched up in the past 12

months by the London Overground rail operation. No other train

service in Britain scored better than this.

Well yes – but by way of comparison, Metrorail in the Western

Cape averaged a fraction under 70% on-time running in the

morning peak during August 2011. With decrepit infrastructure,

obsolete signalling and life-expired rolling stock, arguably this is

more remarkable than the achievements at Gautrain or the London

Overground, where everything is brand-new-from-scratch. It all

depends how you allocate money when you have (or don’t have)

R30 billion to spend.

UK PUNCTUALITYAccording to the UK Offi ce of Rail Regulation (ORR), during the

12 months ending 23 July 2011, 87.5% of passenger trains ran on

time, compared with 89% over the same period a year ago.

Commuter services in London and the South East had 91.1% of

trains arriving on time, compared with 91.4% last year. Among

reasons given for the drop in performance were the severe winter

and increasing incidence of cable theft.

DRAMATIC RAIL FREIGHT SUCCESS STORYWith growth of 9% compared with the previous year, the fi rst

quarter of 2011 has been very successful for DB Schenker Rail,

the rail freight business unit of Deutsche Bahn and Europe’s

largest operator of rail freight. The fl eet includes 3,400 locomotives

and 109,000 wagons. Employing some 32,600, the group runs

trains in 17 countries in Europe, either directly or in association

with other entities. It aims to increase market share in European

rail freight from 26% to 30% by 2012. Annual investment is in the

region of €400 million.

ONE-TIME KNYSNA STATION-MASTER, D J HAVENGA- From the Friends of the Choo-Tjoe Newsletter.Daniel Jacobus Havenga was born to farming folk on 7 October

1898. In later years he enlisted twice in the war effort by giving

a false age and was twice fetched back from Potchefstroom by

his mother. He was then put as a boarder at Grey College,

Bloemfontein where he would be better supervised but he

absconded with the collusion of the headmaster by changing

his name and age. As Private Donald James [Don] Havenga, he

was mustered at age 16 to the 1st South African Battalion, 2nd

Regiment, D Company.

Havenga took part in the Battle for Delville Wood at age 17 years

and 8 months. Although hospitalised three times with war injuries,

he survived two more years at the Western Front, taking part in

many of the major battles. In doing so, he beat a 99.99% chance

of being killed or maimed. Because of this he considered himself to

be the very luckiest of people.

Metrorail in the Western Cape averaged less than 70% on-time running in

the morning peak during August 2011. Photo: the late Malcolm Bates.

Innovative DB motorised container wagon.

Gautrain: 1,000 times round the world in 50 days.

6 Railways Africa September 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com

OPINION – AND THE WIDER WORLD

PETE THE PUNDITand a dramatic rail freight success story, a railway that ran out of fuel, a station with its own library & rounding the world with Gautrain in 50 days

His most serious injury was being concussed by a mortar shell

bursting nearby, being hit by the shrapnel and left for dead,

lying unattended for two days in the snow near Arras. According

to the medics in England, he only survived because of his youth

and fi tness. He was again hospitalised for a bayonet thrust to the

groin. A comrade shooting the attacker at point-blank range saved

his life. His war wounds healed completely and they never troubled

him in later years.

He was a big, strapping man - afraid of nothing and nobody. If the

war could not kill him then nothing would!

He was a sportsman of note and played rugby (reportedly

representing the Orange Free State) and took part in inter-provincial

athletics. At one meeting in Durban he took part in every foot

race one afternoon, winning several including the mile and was

rewarded with the Rosebowl Trophy for his achievements. He

played tennis - winning many cups and trophies over the years - and

loved cricket. He was a man’s man.

Being a farmer’s son he loved the land and animals. His gardens

were always the best and took prizes wherever he was stationed -

and he moved around a lot! He rose at 03:00 every day including

Sundays and was still in the garden at 21:00. When he was

promoted to be stationmaster at Knysna, his immediate and

burning ambition was to win the coveted Lady Duncan Trophy for

the best station garden in South Africa. If he could win prizes in

the arid South West Africa and other drought-ravaged towns then

surely this was his supreme chance to win the coveted trophy! He

worked hard, long hours and in 1954 he indeed won the Trophy

for Knysna and the townsfolk who donated towards his project of

beautifying the station and surrounds.

He gave excess produce and fl owers to poor and disabled folk

and fl owers to the church every week. He was a humble man with

great compassion for all people irrespective of colour and his

black staff adored him. Newspaper clippings of his retirement a

few years later at Uitenhage speak volumes of his compassion for

the disadvantaged.

His life was his “luck” and he gave it freely to anyone who needed

his assistance and uplifting.

LIBRARY AT DUTCH STATIONA library of 1,500 books has been provided at the railway station

in the Dutch city of Haarlem. According to Nederlandse

Spoorwegen (NS – the national railways of Holland), it is a unique

feature, to be found nowhere else in Europe. The library already

has several hundred members.

Class 19D 3324 at Knysna station in November 2003. Photo: Hennie Heymans.


The future of mobility

Messe Berlin GmbH Messedamm 22 · 14055 Berlin · GermanyTel. +49(0)30/3038-2376 · Fax +49(0)30/[email protected]

International Trade Fair for Transport TechnologyInnovative Components · Vehicles · Systems

18 – 21 September · Berlin · Germanywww.innotrans.com

InnoTrans 2012

A fundamental feature of the new facility is a terminal (and railway

station directly beneath) located between two parallel runways.

Good connections to downtown Berlin and the surrounding

region will be offered from the six-track railway station with

three platforms. An important aim is to have every second

traveller use public transport.

The Airport Express already connects Schoenefeld Airport with

downtown Berlin. From June 2012, trains will depart every quarter

of an hour, reaching the city centre in less than 30 minutes. Many

S-Bahn train services running every 10 minutes as well as a wide

choice of bus connections will be found there.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport is being included in Deutsche Bahn’s

long-distance service and the trackwork is fully compatible with

the ICE (intercity express network). A number of international and

regional connections are to be provided, notably to Poland and the

Czech Republic.

BRAZIL HIGH-SPEED RAIL SUSPENDEDA federal court in Brasília has suspended all processes linked to

Brazil’s $US17.6bn Rio-São Paulo-Campinas high-speed passenger

train project until interstate bus concessions are put in order.

Before continuing with the rail tender, national ground transport

agency ANTT has been told it must publish tenders for the

concession of all interstate and international passenger routes

more than 75km in length.

All contracting issues have to be resolved by September 2012. If

ANTT fails to comply (it says it will, but intends to appeal), a heavy

daily fi ne will be applicable. ANTT previously put out two tenders

to build and operate the 510km line. The fi rst was delayed and

the second declared void due to a lack of interest.

Separate tenders covering construction and operation are now

planned for February 2012.

THE CANADIAN REVAMPEDOver $22 million is being spent on revamping VIA Rail Canada’s

transcontinental Toronto-Vancouver express, the Canadian.

New carpets, new colours and warm woods are being employed

to ensure that passengers experience maximum comfort, more

space, and great views.

New Deluxe Sleeper Class

VIA’s new deluxe sleeper-class cabins offer a “boutique hotel

ambience and an abundance of the little extras found on the most

ALL-PURPOSE SIMULATORIn the global market, railway operators require manufacturers

to provide proposals covering a broad range of aspects, such as

differences in power-feed equipment used by different countries

and lines, variations in types of rolling stock, and services

passing through electrifi ed and non-electrifi ed zones. To meet

these needs and provide swift answers, Hitachi Limited has

developed an innovative “integrated railway systems simulator”

which evaluates complete rail systems from an all-over viewpoint,

including coordination between multiple types of equipment such

as rolling stock, signalling and traffi c control. It has the capability

to evaluate the effects of changes in conditions, further facilitating

the installation of new facilities and equipment in line with

technological advances. Hitachi will be enabled to realise optimal

equipment location and appropriate energy allocation, providing

solutions that match global railway infrastructure improvement

plans through comprehensive simulation.

MORE CHINESE HS TRAINS CURTAILED Eighteen trains running on high-speed rail links in China were

suspended from 28 August, including some on the new Beijing-

Shanghai line. “Rescheduling issues” were announced as the

reason. However, press reports draw attention to a story in

the Caixin Century Magazine which said that workers found a

7.1mm long, 2.4mm tall crack on an axle of a train made by China

CNR Corporation - a claim denied by the company. The report

came 10 days after 54 trains were withdrawn from the Beijing to

Shanghai link, and the magazine speculated that the crack might

be one of the reasons behind the recall.

NEW BERLIN AIRPORT & RAILWAYThe new Berlin Brandenburg International Airport, scheduled to

open on 3 June 2012, will secure the air traffi c infrastructure for

the Berlin-Brandenburg region and replace the area’s existing

airport system. The closing of Tempelhof Airport on 30 October

2008 was the fi rst step in the overall project. Tegel Airport is due

for closure in 2012 when Berlin Brandenburg Airport opens.

Rail facilities at the new Berlin Brandenburg International Airport are fully

compatible with DB’s ICE intercity express trains. F40PH locos head the Canadian near Jasper, Alberta.

Photo: Timothy Stevens



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It is understood that only 86 out of the fl eet of 520 electric

and diesel locomotives were in working order at the end of

September. To meet the needs of 220 scheduled daily passenger

trains, at least 152 are ordinarily required.

Railway goods traffi c out of Karachi was brought to a complete

standstill. It was hoped that a decision to lease 50 locomotives

from India would provide some respite.

RAIL BUILDERS FIND ROMAN REMAINS In the course of the Thameslink rail building project, one of the

biggest fi nds of Roman ruins in London was discovered on the

south side of the River Thames. A team of specialist archaeologists,

The Guardian reports, has been commissioned to excavate the site.

HIGH-HORSEPOWER LOCO FOR INDIAN RAILWAYSElectro-Motive Diesel (EMD) has completed the design for a high-

horsepower WDG5 locomotive to operate on Indian Railways. The

design was completed by the Research Designs and Standards

Organisation (RDSO) and Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) of Indian

Railways with the support of EMD. The diesel locomotive has a

power output of 5,500bhp combined with tractive effort of 560kn.

The WDG5 locomotive includes electronic fuel injection, radial

grids and high adhesion, lightweight fabricated bogies. The air-

conditioned cab has adjacent toilet facilities.

WIN-WIN ON UK WEST COASTWest Coast Trains, the Virgin group subsidiary holding the west

coast passenger rail franchise in Britain (49% owned by the

Stagecoach concern), paid the government £110 million in the 12

months to March 2011. Patronage has been increasing at around

11% annually, so income to the state is going to rise further. On top

luxurious trains in the world”. They are 50% more spacious than

before, featuring private glassed-in showers and fl at-screen TVs,

in addition to a dedicated service attendant, turn-down service,

all-day room service (breakfast, morning and afternoon tea),

priority luggage service and priority boarding.

Dining on board

Newly-refurbished dining cars are augmented by elegant settings

of linen and china. Meals are freshly prepared by a skilled chef.

Produce is brought on board along the way so diners may savour

regional specialities.

PAKISTAN RAILWAY RUNS OUT OF FUELAccording to the Khaleej Times, Pakistan Railways was “on

the verge of collapse” recently, after running out of fuel. Many

scheduled trains across the country stopped running as a result,

or experienced substantial delays. The supply of diesel was

stopped at one stage because “millions” were owed to the Pakistan

state oil company PSO.

Pakistan Railways train at Rawalpindi.


PO Box 9375, Centurion0046, South Africa

105 Theuns St. , Hennopspark, Centurion, 0157, South Africa

Tel: +27 (0)12 653-4595Fax: +27 (0)12 653-6841www.vherail.co.za

Gautrain Turnout Assembly

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The master plan was drawn up by consultants Lea Associates but

construction was only begun on one line.

JAKARTA MONORAIL DUMPEDOn 19 September, after seven years and millions in public money,

Jakarta aborted the city’s monorail project.

Construction came to a halt in 2004 when Jakarta Monorail,

a consortium of Indonesian and foreign fi rms, failed to secure

fi nancing. The Dubai Islamic Bank showed some interest, but

wanted guarantees in the event of the monorail failing to attract

the estimated 160,000 daily passengers.

The city of Jakarta took over the project from Jakarta Monorail but

a dispute over compensation for investments already made by

the company was never settled. Since 2007, Jakarta Monorail has

been demanding substantial sums in payment for work completed.

In both the Senayan and Kuningan districts, uncompleted support

columns erected seven years ago disfi gure the landscape, covered

in graffi ti.

There were to have been two monorail routes, totalling 27.8km

in all, including two interchange stations. One line was to loop

through the central business district, with the other running from

Kampung Melayu by way of Casablanca and Tanah Abang to Roxy.

The governor is quoted saying that the city needs cost-effi cient

public transport with higher capacity – and lower construction cost

– than a monorail. A mass rapid transit railway has been designed,

partially elevated and partially underground. Construction of the

fi rst phase, a 20km north-south line, is due to start early in 2012.

AXION LAUNCHES COMPOSITE SLEEPERSAxion International Holdings inc has launched EcoTrax, a new Axion

brand-name for its existing composite railway sleepers, which

have undergone extensive proof-of-concept testing over the past 12

years and are now being sold in many domestic and international

markets throughout the railway sleeper industry.

EcoTrax is easy to instal using traditional wood sleeper equipment.

Since the sleepers are designed using 100% recycled plastic and

plastic composites, they are long-lasting, environmentally friendly,

and ideal for harsh climates and weather conditions.

According to Axion president and CEO Steve Silverman, “It is safe

to say this product is well proven and well tested. The patented

technology has been used to manufacture and instal railway

sleepers for many customers around the globe over the last

12 years. The products have been tested extensively both with

customers and at the test track in Pueblo, Colorado, with over 1.85

million gross tons of freight traffi c recorded.”

EcoTrax contains no toxic materials. It is impervious to insect

infestation, will not leach toxic chemicals nor warp. It is completely

recyclable at the end of its functional life.

“TRAINMEN SHOULD RESEMBLE AIRLINE PILOTS”For decades, train drivers in India have worn sky blue shirts and

navy blue trousers. Following a series of accidents, many blamed

on human error, railway minister Dinesh Trivedi has proposed

changing to a smarter uniform. If trainmen looked more like airline

pilots, he suggests, they would be better motivated.

of this, the operating subsidy from government is dropping in line

with the terms of the concession.

Virgin shareholders have nothing to complain about. Dividends

totalled some £30.5 million in the year 2010-2011. It appears to be

a case of win-win in all directions.

ANTI-GRAFFITI SPRAYSensor-triggered sprays which cover stabled rolling stock in a fi ne

mist to prevent aerosol paint from adhering have been developed

by Auckland-based Graffi ti Security Systems. The prototype

Stormrail system has been installed at KiwiRail’s Palmerston

North stabling area.

KiwiRail commercial manager Neil Buchanan is quoted saying:

“Protective coatings and misting systems are relatively expensive

but they have emerged as the most effective graffi ti control

measures.” The Palmerston North deployment of Stormrail is

being treated as a prototype. If it proves effective, use of the

system may be extended to other areas. Interest has been

shown in the product at the Greater Wellington Regional Council,

Auckland Transport and by rail authorities in Australia.

ENTHUSIASM FOR MUMBAI MONORAIL WANESIn 2007, an elaborate, eight-line monorail network was included in

a transport master plan for Mumbai. Now, according to press

reports, the idea has lost favour with the administrators, who regard

it as a waste of state resources. Much of the routes proposed, it is

suggested, duplicate other corridors.

Mumbai was the fi rst Indian city to show interest in building a

monorail, despite critics highlighting the limited carrying capacity.

Virgin Voyager set near Edinburgh. Photo: Peter Skuce.

South Africa too has big problems with graffi ti. This Metrorail train in Cape

Town was photographed by Andre Kritzinger.



TAIWAN RAIL HOSTS VISITORSA group of 51 from Australia, Britain and Japan spent a fortnight

in September travelling on the lines of the Taipei Mass Rapid

Transit, Taiwan Railway Administration and Taiwan High Speed

Rail. In organising the visit, the government worked closely with

travel agencies in the different countries. Participants said they

were impressed by what they saw, especially remarking on the

cleanliness of stations and trains.

NO POUND SEATS ON EUROSTARThough a member of the Common Market, Britain still relies on the

pound sterling. Eurostar, which runs trains between England and

France, has been running into problems handling dual currency

on board. So for a week at the beginning of September, it

experimented with accepting euros only – and ran into predictable

trouble.

UK citizens on the trains complained to their MPs and the MPs

told the press and Eurostar was obliged to climb down.

“BAG TOILETS” FOR DUTCH TRAINSNederlandse Spoorwegen (NS – the Dutch National Railway)

is introducing emergency plastic bags for passengers as part of

its fi rst-aid provision on some commuter trains that lack toilets.

The bags are for urinating during emergencies such as power

failures. Made by the fi rm Travel John, the bags are designed for

use by “anyone without access to traditional or sanitary facilities”,

according to the company’s website. The bag is attached to a

spout and fi lled with a powdered substance that turns into a gel.

Passengers interviewed by Dutch TV were dismayed by the idea.

“No, no way, I just can’t see myself ‘going’ in that. For a man it

may be easier, for a woman that’s just impossible,” said one

female passenger.

CALIFORNIA BANS DRIVERS’ CELLPHONESThe California Public Utilities Commission has banned the use of

cellphones, pagers, satellite phones and other personal electronic

devices by railway personnel. This makes permanent an emergency

ban already in place, following the 2008 head-on crash involving

a driver who was sending text messages on his cellphone.

Cameras are to be placed in driver’s cabs to enforce the ban.

UK-France cross-Channel Eurostar express.


But now, according to Benin secretary-general

Eugene in a speech on ORTB, the Cotonou-

based, state-owned broadcaster, China

Civil Engineering Construction Corporation

is to spend more than $US10 billion to

build roads and extend the railway in Benin.

Dossoumou said a group of offi cials from

the company met Benin president Thomas

Boni Yayi on 13 September.

BOTSWANABOTSWANA COAL PROJECTAfrican Energy Resources (AER) has

received promising results from a concept

study - by a number of independent

consultants - at the Sese Coal Project in

Botswana. Viability from both the technical

and commercial viewpoints has been

confi rmed.

It is foreseen that selling up to a million

tonnes of washed coal for domestic and

regional purposes could generate cash

fl ows from 2013. This could constitute

stage 1 in the overall scheme of things. In

stage 2, up to 3.5 million tonnes per annum

(mta) could be processed, adding the sale

of coal to a power station as well as (to

some extent) export markets.

According to the consultants, existing rail

systems and ports would be fully adequate

throughout stages 1 and 2. Thereafter,

further increases in export sales would

necessitate extensive investment in both

rail and ports. A heavy-haul railway would

have to be built, together with matching

enlargement of port infrastructure.

Eventually, provided that suffi cient

infrastructure could be put in place,

production of as much as 30mta is seen to

be possible in a future stage 4.

AER is underwriting another year of study

to evaluate commercial and technical

aspects in more detail. The obligatory

environmental impact assessment (EIA)

process will follow.

INDIA OFFERS ASSISTANCE TO BOTSWANADuring a meeting with Botswana vice-

president Mompati S Merafhe on 19

September, India’s minister of state for

commerce and industry Jyotiraditya

Scindia offered his country’s assistance

in developing and strengthening the rail

network as well as other modes of transport

in Botswana. Scindia, who was on an offi cial

visit, emphasised the need for diversifying

and increasing bilateral trade. “The current

level of bilateral trade of $US64 million

between the two countries – dominated

by a few commodities like semi-precious

stones, drugs and pharmaceuticals - needs

diversifi cation and deepening,” Scindia

said.

One or two Indian fi rms, including rail

specialists Rites and Ircon, have provided

technical consultancy services to Botswana

in past years.

19DS TO SELEBI PIKWE On 8 September, 19D loco 2689 was

seen near Klerksdorp en route by road to

Botswana.

Dr John Middleton explains:

“We understand two 19Ds from the Jan

Kempdorp dump have been sold to BCL

Selebi Pikwe for overhaul and use by the

mine there which still operates 19Ds.

Not clear yet who will do the overhaul,

Klerksdorp is not exactly on a direct route

from JK to Selebi Pikwe so possibly they

are going somewhere else fi rst. It’s not

obvious who would be prepared to take

on such an overhaul these days. Both of

these locos were last used on the Vaal

Reefs Gold Mine hire contract in the 1980s

and were pretty well ‘used’ when they

went to JK - add 20 odd years of standing

unprotected and they will need a complete

strip-down and rebuild to be suitable for

the daily grind of mine life. However, this is

great news as it shows steam has a future

there for hopefully some time yet”.

CAMEROONCHINA TO PROVIDE CAMEROON COACHESThe CSR Nanjing Puzhen Rolling Stock

Company Ltd is to supply 38 passenger

coaches to the Cameroon National Railway

Corporation (CNRC). The new rolling stock

is to comprise day coaches, sleepers, diners

and baggage vans. CNRC comprises a

ANGOLAANGOLA ORDERS FROM CHINAAngolan transport minister Augusto Tomás

says new locomotives, carriages and

wagons for Angola have been ordered

from the People’s Republic of China. The

orders were placed in 2010 and delivery is

expected in 2012.

BENINCHINA TO EXTEND LINE The government-owned metre-gauge railway

from the port of Cotonou to Parakou

(438km) is owned and run by Organisation

Commune Benin Niger des Chemins de fer

et des Transports (OCBN). Including Niger

in the impressive title was wishful thinking

and has remained so for many decades:

Parakou is less than halfway to the border.

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out of use

projected

N0 150km


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AFRICA UPDATE

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blueprint for commercial bulk commodity transport from Mayoko

to Pointe Noire.

The terms of reference of the engineering study included:

* An analysis of the state of rail infrastructure for the transport

of bulk commodities from Mayoko-Moussondji to Pointe

Noire including: a rail capacity estimate; description of the

current status of substructures and superstructures; and

recommended actions required for the track to support a total

capacity of 10mtpa. This analysis included a detailed physical

inspection of the entire track between Mayoko and Pointe-

Noire.

* Identifi cation and recommendation of the elements of

transport, namely train and traction equipment based on

lengths of stations and towns along the route, track gauge and

structure condition, and speed and terrain constraints based

on the transport of 5mtpa;

* Identifi cation of station, signalling and servicing infrastructure

in place and recommendations for maintenance and

refurbishment.

Rail Study Findings

The completed engineering study supports previous assessments

that the railway is capable of transporting 10mtpa based on the

completion of an accelerated maintenance programme, the

upgrading of communications infrastructure, and the reopening of

existing passing loops and stations along the line.

R&H assessed the transport of 5mpta and advised this can be

achieved using eight dedicated daily ore trains operating 350 days

per annum. The recommended train confi guration is 38 wagons

with two locomotives, resulting in a payload of 1,748 tonnes per

train based on a 15t axle load.

The departure schedule from the mine and port was provided for

as follows:

* 8 ore trains daily

* Up to 1 daily goods train for the mine

* Up to 3 spare slots at specifi c times to allow for occupations by

maintenance teams and allow for “catchup” potential.

This proposed schedule allows for continuous track maintenance

and the provision of a daily goods train conveying fuel, parts and

equipment to Mayoko. The schedule would necessitate the use

of crossing loops at 30km intervals, including approximately 5 to

7 minutes for passing of trains provided that section throughput

times are relatively equal.

The estimated total turnaround time (TAT) was given at 40 to 44

hours, although detailed runtime simulations were outside the

scope of the studies and are still to be confi rmed. It is possible that

lesser cycle times could be achieved with improved scheduling.

This would have a signifi cant impact on rolling stock fl eet size and

capital cost.

No consideration was given to extending train lengths by employing

distributed power (DP) in order to reduce in-train forces. This aspect

is still to be evaluated.

three-line, metre-gauge rail system with a total length of 1,173km.

CNRC’s existing carriages are antiquated and require upgrading.

The CSR company has previously supplied coaches to Guinea and

electric multiple units (emus) to Tunisia.

CONGO-OCEANCONGO-BRAZZAVILLE NORTH-SOUTH RAILWAYEquatorial Resources Limited (ERL) has signed a further agreement

with the state-owned, 1,067mm gauge, Chemin de Fer Congo-

Ocean (CFCO), following a railway engineering study on the north-

south line linking the company’s Mayoko-Moussondji Iron Project

to the deep water port of Pointe-Noire.

CFCO is administered by the Republic of Congo (ROC) ministry

for transport. Construction of the north-south section between

Mayoko and Mont-Belo was completed in the 1960s by the French

manganese producer Comilog, which operated the line from 1962

to 1991, transporting their mine’s entire production - approximately

3mtpa of manganese ore. Since 1991, the line has been used only

for a weekly passenger service operated by CFCO.

The line was originally designed and constructed to support 15t

axle loads which could potentially be upgraded to 20t or beyond as

part of future operations.

In September 2010, ERL signed an MOU with CFCO, granting the

company immediate access to the railway and committing the

parties to cooperate in completing an engineering study, which

was undertaken by independent experts between January and

March 2011. ERL then commissioned R&H from South Africa to

conduct a critical review of the study and to design an operations

Yaounde station in Cameroon.

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CONGOGABON

GUINEA

CAMEROON

CENT. AFRICAN REP.

0 300km

1.435 m gauge

1.067 m gauge

N


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* A tariff agreement shall be concluded between CFCO and ERL

before any pre-fi nancing takes place.

Defi nitive Feasibility Study

Equatorial is in contact with a number of internationally accredited

railway consultants including R&H.

The company intends to immediately prepare and issue (to a

selected group of railway engineering consultants) letters of

invitation to tender for undertaking the DFS.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)BELGIUM DONATES LOCOS TO DRCTo mark the 51st year of Congo independence on 30 June,

Belgium’s King Albert II handed over two regauged CKD Praha

class 742 diesel locos to Société Nationale des Chemins de fer

Congolais (SNCC – the state railway in the Democratic Republic

of Congo). DPOV Nymburk sold the units to transport agency

SCTP via Belgian company DAXI.

ETHIOPIALIGHT RAIL LINES IN ETHIOPIAThe Addis Abeba City Roads Authority (AACRA) has awarded

Core consulting Engineers Plc a 9.2km, 40 metre-wide, nine-

month road design project worth 3.6 million Br. The route runs

from Torhayloch to Megenagna, and is to include provision for a

light rail line in the median. The road passes through Mexico, La

Gare, Meskel Square, Hayahulet Mazoria, Lem Hotel area and

Megenagna.

Core previously won the design for the 8km road from Ayat to

Megenagna, also embodying LRT provision.

The locomotives recommended by R&H for the intended

operations are available from a number of international suppliers

with lead times of approximately 18 months’ maximum. Wagons

are readily available and are estimated to have lead times of 12

months’ maximum.

The agreement with CFCO details the terms on which ERL will

invest in line refurbishing and outlines the responsibilities of the

parties in relation to commercial transport. The key terms are:

* CFCO and ERL will cooperate in conducting a Defi nitive

Feasibility Study (DFS) of the railway, funded by ERL, analysing

the capital required and the operating parameters for the

transport of iron ore from Mayoko-Moussondji.

* The DFS will accurately identify the works and costs required

to upgrade and maintain the line. It will also identify the

parameters and terms of a tariff agreement or “contract

commercial” to be signed between ERL and CFCO.

* Equatorial will pre-fi nance the required upgrades to the line as

identifi ed in a detailed work programme that will be defi ned

in the DFS. CFCO agrees that the capital cost of any work

approved by the CFCO and fi nanced by ERL will be treated by

CFCO as a prepayment by ERL against any future rail transport

charges.

* If ERL purchases locomotives, rolling stock or machinery

to contribute to completion of the work programme, CFCO

agrees that this equipment remains the property of ERL

and agrees to contribute to the operation of this equipment

according to generally accepted technical and commercial

provisions.


AFRICA UPDATE

Think Coogar®

GM532_AP Presslink

on behalf of sector minister Mike Hammah,

stressed that “there has not been a better

time to invest in Ghana than now”.

Investors with technical and fi nancial

capacities to invest in the railway and

mining sectors would be welcomed to

explore these opportunities, Kamel told

leaders of mining companies from Africa,

Europe, Australia and North America in

Accra. The Minister revealed that the

recently completed mining sector support

programme, funded by the European

Commission, led to the discovery of new

minerals. These include phosphate, nickel,

chromium, copper lead, zinc and uranium.

KENYARIFT VALLEY RAILWAYSThe African Development Bank (AfDB) has

approved a $US40 million loan to Rift Valley

Railways (RVR).

And according to a Reuters report datelined

in Nairobi, “The operator of the Kenya-

Uganda railway received a $164 million

long-term loan fi nancing on Tuesday [2

August] from six international fi nanciers

…. The investment, which is one of the

largest in East Africa rail, is aimed at

refurbishing the track, buying new wagons

and locomotives and replacing information

technology systems.

“The six fi nanciers in the project include

International Finance Corporation (IFC),

KfW of Germany and Equity Bank -- Kenya’s

biggest bank in customer terms, a statement

from IFC said. Egypt-based investment

fi rm Citadel Capital, that has a 51%

holding in RVR, said in February that it

was to raise $287 million for a fi ve-year

upgrading project.

“Karim Sadek, Citadel’s managing director,

said an additional $80 million will be

raised from shareholders and the rest from

internally generated funds.

“Other shareholders in RVR include

Kenyan-based infrastructure investment

company TransCentury with a 34% and

Bomi Holdings of Uganda with 15%.

‘This fi nancing package is the backbone

for an ambitious fi ve-year rehabilitation

programme that will see RVR make a

quantum leap in operating standards,’ said

Sadek in the statement.”

CITADEL ANNOUNCEMENTOn 11 September, Egypt’s Citadel Capital

announced the completion of a $US70

million capital increase for its platform

company Africa Railways to fund portfolio

company Rift Valley Railways (RVR). RVR

holds a 25-year concession to operate

the line linking the Indian Ocean port of

Mombasa in Kenya to the Ugandan capital,

Kampala.

Four development fi nance institutions and

a private equity fund focused on the Middle

East participated in the capital increase

which brought to $319.3 million the total

equity raised by Citadel Capital and its

platforms since the beginning of 2011.

Participants were the IFC African,

Latin American and Caribbean Fund,

Dutch development bank FMO, German

development fi nance institution DEG,

FISEA, a vehicle dedicated to investment

in Sub-Saharan Africa owned by France’s

Agence Française de Développement and

the International Finance Corporation.

MOROCCOKUWAIT FUNDING FOR MOROCCO HIGH-SPEED RAIL The Kuwait Fund for Arab and Economic

Development (KFAED) has loaned Morocco

$US89.2 million as part of the fi rst phase

of its funding of the High-Speed Train (HST)

project linking Tangier and Casablanca.

According to the Global Arab Network,

the project forms part of the country’s

development programme aimed at meeting

“the growing demand for environment-

friendly transport” and to support the

development of Morocco’s transport

infrastructure.

The provision for LRT track in the road

median is part of a city-wide plan to

construct a mass transit network in the

long term, comprising both LRT and Bus

Rapid Transit (BRT).

GABONLOCOS FOR SETRAG Two EMD IT42CWR diesel-electric locos

have been shipped from Rotterdam to

Société d’Exploitation du Transgabonais

(Setrag – the state railway of Gabon). It is

understood they were built originally for

leasing fi rm Crossrail in 2008 but were not

delivered.

ORE WAGONS FOR GABONOn 15 September, CSR Yangtze Company

Ltd of China delivered the fi rst batch of 44

new ore wagons to the Huazhou Mining

Gabon Company Ltd in Gabon. Pending the

arrival of the second batch of rolling stock,

appropriate personnel training has been

put in hand.

SETRAG – BRIEF HISTORYContributed by Shall Ford (Australia), with

updating:

Gabon was a late starter, with construction

of the country’s fi rst railway commencing

only in 1974. Since no connections

were intended with adjacent countries

(Cameroon, metre-gauge, and Congo-

Brazzaville, 1,067mm), 1,435mm was

chosen, having the advantage of off-the-

shelf equipment availability.

The 814km line built for and run by Société

d’Exploitation du Transgabonais (Setrag –

the state railway of Gabon) starts from the

port of Owendo near the capital, Libreville.

It was intended to serve iron ore mines in

the north-east around Makokou. Due to

the low price of iron ore at the time, and

with the objective of capturing manganese

traffi c going via the Comilog cableway and

the Republic of Congo, the line was diverted

to Franceville.

In 1999, the Transgabonais consortium gained

a 20-year concession to work the line. Both

passenger and freight service is provided.

In 2005, interest resurfaced in iron ore

deposits around Makokou and across the

border in Cameroon. Chinese enterprise is

currently involved in exploitation.

GHANAGHANA SEEKS INVESTORSThe government of Ghana has invited local

and foreign investors to partner the state

in rehabilitating the country’s railway

infrastructure and expanding it. Deputy

minister of lands and natural resources

Henry Ford Kamel, who made the invitation

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Lake

Techiman

Mampong

Nkoranza

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Bolgatanga

Hamale Paga

Sheini

YendiTamale

KumasiEjisu

Anyinam

KadeShai

Hills

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Valley

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Tarkwa

TakoradiSecondi

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MOZAMBIQUENEW LOCOS AT MOATIZETwo different examples of industrial motive power that have appeared at Moatize in Mozambique include Vale’s type DDM 45 and Riversdale

Mining’s GT26CW. Stewart Currie reports seeing a video of a Vale loco heading a 30-wagon train into Moatize.

NAMIBIANAMIBIAN SLEEPER FACTORYNamibian Deputy Prime Minister Marco Hausiku has formally

inaugurated the N$50 million GPT-TransNamib concrete sleeper

factory, with capacity to produce 120,000 railway sleepers

annually. TransNamib, Namibia GPT Infraprojects Limited, India

and Dorros Investments invested approximately N$50 million in

Tracklaying at Moatize. Photo: Antonio Teixeira. Slow passenger train crossing railcar set at Bengelene in Southern

Mozambique, June 2011. Photo: Roderick Smith.

the project. According to GPT group chairman Dwarika Prasad

Tantia, to date the factory has produced 7,000 sleepers for

Namibia’s railway system. The GPT joint venture currently employs

70 workers and this might increase to 100.”

The GPT plant in Tsumeb was commissioned in September 2010 by

Namibian Deputy Minister of Works and Transport Chief Ankama.

AFRICA UPDATE

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Industry Standard

R A I L V E H I C L E S Y S T E M S

Knorr-Bremse S.A. Pty. Ltd.

3 Derrick Road (Corner Green Road)

1610 Spartan

Phone: +27 11 961 7800 Fax: +27 11 975 8249

Knorr-Bremse South Africa (Pty) Ltd (KBSA) has had IRIS certification since January 2009 and has just successfully passed not

only a re-certification but also an upgrade audit against revision 2 valid from 5 January 2011. KBSA is the first and only company

in Africa to have obtained IRIS certification and has experienced the benefits of this certification by reduced non-conformities,

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GM

571_PRESSLINK

NIGERIABIG BLDGS IN WAY OF ABUJA LRTResponding to questions during a tour of work on the Abuja

light rail project, Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers

(NSE - Abuja Chapter) Joseph Olatunde Akinteye demanded the

removal of illegally erected structures along the route. Apparently

these include the NNPC Mega Filling Station and Danzali Plaza

– amongst others - in the central business district of Abuja.

Appropriate disciplinary steps need to be taken, Akinteye said,

against offi cials who permitted the use of this land.

RWANDANEW LINE TO BE FAST-TRACKED

The governments of Tanzania and Rwanda have agreed to closely

monitor and speed up processes so as to start construction of

the new railway between the two countries.

Rwandan minister for foreign affairs Ms Louise Mushikiwabo told

The Citizen (published in Dar es Salaam) that the two countries

have committed themselves to ensuring that construction starts in

mid 2012, to be completed within fi ve years as scheduled.

The line linking Dar es Salaam to Kigali is expected to cost at least

$US5.3 billion. The agreement was among the outcomes of a

meeting between Ms Mushikiwabo and her Tanzanian counterpart,

Bernard Membe.

SIERRA LEONERAIL SAFETY CAMPAIGNThe Sierra Leone government, with assistance from the public

relations department of African Minerals (SL) Ltd, is engaging

religious leaders, teachers, chiefs and other rural authorities in

drawing attention to the hazards associated with railway operations.

A map of close to hundred villages was drawn up with rallying

points clearly identifi ed, based on mutual proximity. Thirty-fi ve

rallying points were each expected to bring together at least six

representatives from between eight and nine villages to one

combined meeting where safety sensitising is being organised.

The rail safety sensitisation community meetings began in

September and are to run until mid-October, by when the team

of dedicated safety offi cers, corporate assistants and

communications support staff is expected to have met all

community representatives from all chiefdoms in the mines and

railway areas.

The message reads: “At crossings you must stop, look, listen

and you will stay alive.” This simple message around safety and

hazards associated with railway operations and trains, supported

by universally accepted safety measures, is captured in videos and

projected on giant screens with vivid graphics, all self-explanatory.

A slogan developed by community people in areas covered so far

is: “LIFE IS ONE, LOOK AFTER IT.”

The campaign forms part of AML’s comprehensive plan to

complete the railway as scheduled. The message is easily

translatable into local dialects and slang by people living in

villages along the company’s 200km line across the Tonkolili,

Bombali and Port Loko districts, in the north of the country.

The theft of rail material during recent months has been

highlighted too. The cutting and removal of clips, sleepers and

rail endangers safety and can cause accidents, apart from the

cost to the company and setbacks to the construction schedule.

Towns and paramount chiefs have promised to warn their subjects

against theft or damage of rail facilities.

TANZANIASOUTHERN TANZANIA’S MTWARA CORRIDORThe Tanzanian government is seeking infrastructure partners

to develop rail, road and port facilities as part of the Mtwara

Development Corridor in the south of the country. The proposed

new railway will pass within 20km of the Uranex Songea Coal

Project where a 3,000 metre drilling programme is to start

Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria.

Namibian-made sleepers. Photo: Thomas Åkerblad.

Bujumbura

TangaMuheza

KilosaManyoni

SingidaKaliua

Mpanda

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the meeting, the two leaders formed a taskforce to oversee fast-

tracked implementation of the project.

UGANDA SAYS NO TO TENANTSUganda Railways Corporation (URC) has ruled out compensating

former employees and sitting tenants currently on its land at

Nsambya and Port Bell. The land was recently given to developers.

URC managing director Emmanuel Lyamulemye told MPs on the

commissions and state enterprises committee that contrary to

the tenants’ request, there was no chance that URC would

compensate them.

shortly. The company expects to complete drilling during the

fourth quarter of 2011. Recently the Tanzanian government

signed a $US3 billion mining and infrastructure deal with China’s

Sichuan Hongda. The deal is designed to develop the Mchuchuma

Coalfi eld in the Ruhuhu Basin, adjacent to the Songea Coal

Project (which covers 3,500 square kilometres), and to establish

the funding required to develop the basin for both domestic

and Asian export markets. The Ruhuhu Basin is known for large

tonnages of high quality thermal coal including three substantial

coalfi elds, Ketewaka, Mchuchuma and Ngaka, with published

resources exceeding 1 billion tonnes.

UGANDAOIL FIND WILL CHANGE UGANDAUganda will soon be exporting oil that has been discovered in the

fringe of Lake Albert in Africa’s western Rift Valley. Tullow Oil, a

UK-based oil exploration company, is reported to have discovered

as much as 2.5 billion barrels of oil, enough to change everything

in Uganda. The value of the oil windfall is estimated at $2 billion

a year for the next 20 years. President Museveni is on record

demanding that instead of exporting crude oil a refi nery should be

built, allowing Uganda to sell fuel to other countries in the region

and profi t more from the resource.

At a recent meeting, President Museveni and President Jakaya

Kikwete of Tanzania agreed to speed up construction of the

proposed new railway from the Tanzanian port of to Musoma on

the shores of Lake Victoria. From there, cargo would be shipped

to Uganda where another port would be constructed on the shores

of the lake. According to a statement issued by State House after

N50 100 150

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RWANDA TANZANIA

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AFRICA UPDATE

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“ You focus on your business, we will focus on your gas supply”

URC would however - on humanitarian grounds - facilitate the

exhuming and reburying of dead relatives.

The committee, chaired by Patrick Amuriat, had asked URC to

explain whether or not the tenants would be compensated. The

committee was handling a petition by former employees and

sitting tenants of URC challenging the government’s decision to

sell 57 acres of URC land at Nsambya and Port Bell without

advertising or giving fi rst priority to the sitting tenants.

The tenants appealed to parliament to stay the eviction orders,

saying they had lived on the land for more than 30 years. And

planned to develop the site into an up-to-date satellite town.

ZIMBABWESTRIKE COSTS NRZ $US5MThe National Railways of Zimbabwe says it lost close to $US

5 million in one week due to strike action that cost about $1

million per day, general manager Air Commodore (retired) Mike

Karakadzai told the Zimbabwe Standard.

NRZ workers went on strike on 27 September, pressing for

better pay, allowances and outstanding salaries dating back

to 2009. The strike action drew the whole NRZ workforce

affi liated to the Zimbabwe Amalgamated Railway Workers’ Union,

Railway Association of Yard Operating Staff, Zimbabwe Railways

Artisans’ Union and Railways Association of Engineering.

Karakadzai said the strike was holding back over 15,000 tonnes of

unmoved cargo daily.

“In terms of tonnage, we are losing about 33,000 tonnes of

traffi c that should have been moved and that translates to about

$2 million in two days since workers went on strike on Tuesday,”

Karakadzai said after a crisis meeting held at the NRZ headquarters.

Much as the company would like to make up outstanding pay and

meet salary demands, je explained, NRZ could not afford to do so.

“On average per day, NRZ makes about $225,000, translating to

about US$7million in a month against monthly expenditure of about

$10.5 million for fuel, salaries and spare parts,” he said.

Photo: Richard Grönstedt.


AFRICA UPDATE

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Your track maintenance eqPhysical Address12 Laser Park Square34 Zeiss RoadLaser ParkHoneydewSouth Africa

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quipment and machine specialist

FRIENDS OF THE OUTENIQUA CHOO-TJOE From the latest “Friends” newsletter :At several events in which the Friends of the Outeniqua Choo-tjoe

have taken part during the past year, the public has been invited

to support the objective of reopening the George to Knysna line as

a steam-hauled railway.

The “Friends” gazebo was manned by members over several days

at the Sedgefi eld Slow Festival and at the Knysna Waterfront

during the Oyster Festival. At both these events new members

were recruited and additional funds raised.

A year ago, on Heritage Day 23 September2010, a meeting was

held with Western Cape economic affairs and tourism MEC Alan

Winde, to introduce the “Friends” and ask what they as a group

could do to promote and support the line’s reopening. At that

time, Winde thought the negotiations between the Western Cape

and Transnet regarding transfer of the line to the province would

be concluded by October 2010!

It is now 12 months later and no announcement has been made. It

is diffi cult to understand why the envisaged transfer of assets from

one state “pocket” to another is taking so long.

“We wish we could be better informed on what the apparent

stumbling blocks are. Whilst all this ‘negotiating’ is proceeding the

asset becomes more time-expired and more of it gets stolen – and

more importantly - opportunities to put the asset to work are lost.

This seems at odds with the oft-stated national policy of getting

people into jobs and working. The injection of tens of millions of

Rand into the local economy would surely be welcomed by many

local people and local businesses.

“Our membership now exceeds 100 including several from

overseas. We would like to further expand our membership so

NO TO SALDANHA FOR MANGANESETransnet Freight Rail (TFR) has excluded using the Sishen-

Saldanha line for the transport of manganese as proposed by the

producers, explaining the line’s full capacity is required for the

expected increase in iron ore consignments from the Northern

Cape. A feasibility study for the upgrade of the line currently used

for manganese traffi c – that via Kimberley to Port Elizabeth - is

due in February. In a related development, the existing manganese

terminal at Port Elizabeth harbour is to be de-activated and

replaced by a new facility in the port of Ngqura at Coega, around

30km further north.

Capacity on the line from Hotazel in the Northern Cape to Coega –

currently 4 million tons per annum (mta) - is to be raised between

7 and 12mta by 2013. The need for additional capacity beyond this

is already foreseen. Transnet says it will invest as needed to reach

between 18 and 22mta by 2017.

Current work on the Sishen-Saldanha ore line will lift capacity from

47 to 60mta. Further studies are looking at the implications of

lifting this fi gure to 90mta.

End of an era: one of the last electrically-hauled freight trains on the KZN

south coast was photographed at Umkomaas in September by Jacque

Wepener.

KZN DE-ELECTRIFICATIONTransnet Freight Rail (TFR) goods trains arriving at KZN coastal

stations behind class 6E1 electric units will soon be history. By

the end of October 2011, all TFR trains on the north and south

coasts are due to change over to 100% diesel traction, using

class 34 and 37 locos displaced by class 43 diesels elsewhere in

the country. It is understood that the 6E1 units are to be sent to

Koedoespoort for conversion to 18E for use on the Natal main-line

and presumably other routes out of Johannesburg.

There have been complaints about track damage caused by

excessive slipping on 6E/6E1 units, Apparently the 18Es are fi tted

with more effective anti-slip equipment.

Within the next few months it is intended to remove the overhead

catenary equipment between Stanger - Empangeni and Kelso - Port

Shepstone. (Information courtesy Ashley Peter).

Manganese tippler at Port Elizabeth.


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SA RAIL NEWS

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Website: www.friendsofthechoo-tjoe.co.zaIn happier times: 19D 2698 with the Choo-Tjoe at Bleshoender in

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comprising 4 straight spans of 12m (38ft) at210m (672ft) long, 36m (115ft) high

KAAIMANS RIVER BRIDGE

centre with curved approaches at either end

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KAAIMANS RIVER BRIDGE

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The George-Knysna line; map by Bruno Martin.


SA RAIL NEWS

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© 2010 The Timken CompanyTimken® and Where You Turn® are registered trademarks of The Timken Company.www.timken.com

METRORAIL PEOPLE FILCHED R8 MILLIONIn parliament in Cape Town, Democratic Alliance spokesperson

on transport Manny de Freitas asked minister of transport Sbu

Ndebele to explain an incident involving theft of money at

Metrorail in 2008. It was alleged that some R8 million was moved

electronically from the company into certain private accounts.

Commenting on the minister’s reply, De Freitas pointed out that,

though charges had reportedly been laid and processed against

two persons, it was not clear whether they were still in Metrorail

employ. Also, there was no clarity on an “ongoing police

investigation”. The culprits, De Freitas said, had stolen a large

sum of money. The public, whose money it was, needed to know

whether they got away with it.

PRASA COMMISSIONS SIEMENS SIGNALLINGThe Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has

commissioned Siemens with the delivery of signalling equipment

and the construction of an operations control centre in Gauteng.

It is the largest contract for signalling equipment ever awarded

in South Africa, worth approximately €90 million. It includes 15

type Sicas S7 electronic interlockings for the railway network in

GREAT TRAIN RACEA number of race events between steam trains and road runners

have been held in past years, notably at Witbank and Port Elizabeth.

This year, KwaZulu-Natal got in on the act with a “Great Train Race”

between Inchanga and Hillcrest on Saturday 24 September. Groups

of athletes competed in a relay road race against Umgeni Steam

Railway’s 99-year-old class 3BR no 1486 on a passenger train.

PREMIER CLASSE JBG-DURBANWeekend Premier Classe trains between Johannesburg and Durban

are now running only once each month (with additional trains in the

holiday season) as follows –

• Fridays dep Jbg 18:20, arr Dbn Sat morning;

• Dep Dbn 17:30 arr Jbg Mon morning

• 25 November 2011 returning 27 November 2011

• 2 December 2011 returning 4 December 2011



• 30 December 2011 returning 1 January 2012

• 27 January 2012 returning 29 January 2012

SA TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE

SA Transport Deputy

Minister Jeremy Cronin.

Two class 14E dual-voltage locos head the Blue Train through

Leeudoringstad, 253km south-west of Johannesburg, during September

2011. Photo: Jacque Wepener.

The opening address at the Southern African Transportation

Infrastructure Conference (Johannesburg 21-24 November) is

being given by South African deputy minister of transport Jeremy

Cronin. Delegates are to examine the extent to which countries

in Southern Africa are prejudiced in trade and exports through

inadequacy in the region’s transport. Obsolete, inappropriate

and inadequately maintained, system shortcomings are to a large

extent attributed to fi nancial diffi culties and poor management. In

several countries, protracted civil war played a signifi cant role.

Current developments and plans being presented and discussed

during the four-day event include road construction and

maintenance, the development and rehabilitation of commuter

and long-distance rail, and local public transport and bus rapid transit

(BRT).

Premier Classe: service frequency trimmed. Photo: Eugene Armer.

Signs at the end of a Metrorail platform – with a new addition suggested.


SA RAIL NEWS

exclusively handled by rail.” Also: “More than 860km long, this

heavy-haul iron-ore railway line [Sishen-Saldanha] is currently the

second longest line in the world.” – Editor]

PENUMBRA COAL Earthworks have begun on Continental Coal’s Penumbra Coal

Project, its third coal mine in South Africa, which is looking to

produce 750,000 tons per annum, effective from the second

half of 2012. Contracts presently in existence will cover the

railing of output to the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) in

KwaZulu-Natal.

PRASA BURSARIESThe Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) is providing

bursaries for the study of engineering, and the opportunity to be

part of a new effort to boost essential skills in the rail industry.

Students will gain practical experience through a minimum of

four weeks practical vacation work per year at Prasa.

Students may enrol at any South African university for full-time

studies. Applicants may choose from any engineering disciplines,

provided that subject choices are acceptable and advantageous

to Prasa, ie electrical engineering (electronics), rolling stock

(technicians), perway (rail maintenance), signalling (technicians),

facilities and electrical.

Bursary courses covered include bachelor and honours degrees in

engineering or science. The bursary covers registration and tuition

fees, books, residence fees and meals. Bursary candidates must

have at least a grade 10 D-symbol in mathematics. Continuation

of the bursary will depend on the candidate’s performance.

Bursary holders required to repeat courses have to do so at their

own expense. Applicants must be South African citizens and are

subject to Prasa’s normal selection process.

Gauteng. This includes the interlocking for Johannesburg Park

Station. In addition, more than 800 counting heads and over

380 points machines will be installed. The communication network

is to be upgraded to meet the signalling requirements. The entire

project is due to be completed by 2016.

The current signalling equipment is a mixture of technologies,

some dating from the 1930s, and sourcing spares is often a

problem. In future, routes will be set and monitored electronically.

The new control centre will be responsible for a total of 70

interlockings in the Johannesburg area, using an optic fi bre

network provided by Siemens in 2010.

Siemens Mobility has already upgraded the Orex Line (Sishen –

Saldanha) with type Sicas S7 signalling equipment.

[The above appears to be based on a Siemens handout. It

contains some highly imaginative stuff, such as: “Freight transport

is a strong economic sector [in South Africa] and is almost

Some signalling still in use in South Africa dates from the thirties.

Photo: Jacque Wepener.


SA RAIL NEWS

Tel: +27 11 794-2910 | Fax: +27 11 794-3560 | Email: [email protected] | Web: www.yalejhb.co.za

HIGH-SPEED RAIL TAXIS TO DURBANAccording to Sipho Masombuka, writing in the Johannesburg

Times, South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) president

Jabulani Mthembu says the organisation wants to get into sea

and rail transport as well as air: “We are moving from a mode

to a service-oriented position,” he was quoted saying. He

added: “We are looking into a speed train between Gauteng and

KwaZulu-Natal.”

TOUR OPERATOR HEADACHESOffi cially, the South African government says it wants to

encourage tourism. Somebody should have a word with the

Passenger Rail Agency (Prasa). On 16 August 2011, JB Train Tours

were informed by Shosholoza Meyl (Prasa’s intercity division) that

all long-distance tourist class passenger trains in South Africa

would only run three times per week, departing on Wednesdays,

Fridays and Sundays, effective Monday 22 August 2011, ie six days

after the advice.

This short-notice change affected 31 JB tours scheduled for the

rest of 2011. Some of these tours had to be rescheduled, others

cancelled. Passengers had to be informed accordingly and their

tour fees refunded. All the service providers involved (hotels,

buses, places to be visited, etc) had to be informed and the

operator had to face (again) the grunt of unhappy customers.

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On Friday evening 19 August 2011, JB Train Tours were informed

that the decision to suspend the trains had been recalled and

“everything is back to normal!”

On Monday 22 August however it was advised that suspension of

the trains will continue “at a date to be decided upon!”

In the meantime the operator has to continue with its business,

organise tours and keep people informed. Until more of the rug

is pulled from under its feet, all tours scheduled to depart on a

Wednesday, Friday and Sunday in 2011 are going ahead.

Intercity expresses - to run only three times a week. Photo: C Baker.

SA RAIL NEWS

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CHURCHILL TRAIN EPISODE

Nathan Berelowitz and Chris Janisch have put together an impressive “Railways South Africa 2012” calendar. From classic steam train action to the biggest and best of modern motive power, and all sorts of other bits thrown in, this will make a great Christmas present. Well-known photographers like David Benn, Eugene Armer, Dave Rodgers, Peter Rogers and Dick Manton are all featured.

SA RAIL CALENDAR 2011Bulk orders by preservation clubs qualify for a reduction in the normal R60 price (ordinary postage included).

ENQUIRIES AND ORDERS TO:Email: [email protected] or

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BANK DETAILS:Name of account holder: L BerelowitzBank: First National BankAccount number: 77088 251 856Type of account: 32-day

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A three-part documentary made in 2008 by Winston Churchill’s granddaughter Celia Sandys, rescreened recently in the UK, includes a sequence where she is fi lmed at a rural station in KwaZulu-Natal. She boards a 610mm gauge train pulled by a class NGG16 Garratt. It’s a nice touch, appearing to give the narrative authenticity – Churchill indeed travelled by train in Natal – only that was a full-size, 1,067mm gauge affair with much earlier locomotive power, some years before Garratts came into the picture.

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On-going steam operations in KenyaKenya Railways has initiated a regular steam excursion, believed

to be scheduled for the fi rst Sunday of the month. It is now

generally accepted that Beyer Peacock class 59 Garratt no 5918

will need signifi cant repairs before it can be scheduled to operate

further railtours (for a start, its superheater tubes are at least

35 years old); Kenya Railways are neither willing nor able to fund

these. Half a dozen tour operators are said to be interested and

the necessary work will presumably have to be fi nanced by one

or more of them if it is to run again. In the meantime, it seems

the railway will concentrate on locally promoted short-haul steam

trains with the smaller locos of class 24, no 2409, and class 30,

no 3020, thereby building up the necessary experience needed

for sustained steam operation in the future.

The two British rail tours to Kenya in early 2012 (see August

column) have now been put back to at least September 2012 –

again based on favourable weather conditions photographically as

well as allowing a greater window of time to sort out arrangements,

pricing etc with the administration personnel.

Work on class 15 Garratt no 398On the New Zealand “Flying 15 Group’s” ex-Zimbabwean class

Garratt no 398, the boiler has been stripped for a thorough

inspection. It looks pretty good overall other than some rust pitting

around the safety valve pad - a legacy apparently of rainwater

soaking into the asbestos insulation around the valves following

outdoor storage at Kimberley.

Surface rust on the bunkers, cradle and wheels has been treated

with protective red undercoat. The loco looks quite strange in her

new unoffi cial colour scheme! Meanwhile measurements have

been taken to see what will be required to fi t the current New

Zealand loading gauge. It is known that the cab will need

narrowing and possibly reduced in height by about 50mm.

An overhauled cross-compound air compressor awaits being

fi tted in the future - present thinking is for the compressor

Report from Mozambique A visitor to Maputo earlier this year found:

Inside the roundhouse next to the running shed:

• 0-10-0T no 67 (Henschel 22381/1934),

• 4-6-2 no 332 (Henschel 29067/1955) in very good condition,

• 2-6-0 ex Xai Xai (frames, cab and tender bunker only -

thought to be no 082 – Alco 56023/1916).

Outside in the yard:

• 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt no 972 ex-Gondola (Henschel

28643/1956) was awaiting restoration to be placed in the

new museum.

At Xai Xai, the poor remains of fi ve 750mm gauge locos accounted

for, plus two steel coaches, seven steel covered wagons and one

open wagon. The loco details read thus:

• 2-6-2 no 05 (Baldwin 59204/1926) without tender.

• 2-8-0 no 06 (Baldwin 58180/1925) with tender.

• 2-6-0 no 012 (Alco 61464/1919 with plate 61465) with tender

(bunker only).

• 2-6-0 no 013 or 081 (Alco 61465/1919 or 55840/1916)

without tender.

• 2-6-0 no 083 (Alco 56024/1916) with tender.

Garratt no 972 ex-Gondola, built by Henschel in 1956, is awaiting

restoration to be placed in the new museum in Maputo. Photo: R Smith.

Baldwin 2-8-0 no 06 of 1925 vintage is pictured at Xai Xai, Mozambique.

Photo: S Currie.

Restoration work is under way on class 15 Garratt no 398 in New Zealand –

the loco is pictured in action on the National Railways of Zimbabwe.

Photo: Flying 15 Group.

RAILWAY HERITAGE


Preservation is A Preservation is A Vital Part of The Picture Vital Part of The Picture

By John BatwellBy John Batwell

behind Friends of The Rail’s class 24 to Rooiwal Power Station. In

Botswana, more time will be spent with the class 19D locos still in

service on the mine railway at Selebi Phikwe. Further north, the

National Railways of Zimbabwe will provide classes 14A, 15 and

16A for travel around the greater Bulawayo area as well as

the main-line operation to Victoria Falls. The privately-owned

class 14A no 512 will run across the Victoria Falls bridge and in

Zambia North British class 12 veteran no 204 will be steamed

up to shunt in Livingstone.

See Geoff Cooke’s website: www.geoffs-trains.com

Rolling Stock restoration at SanrasmIn September, roof repairs were started on 1897-vintage private

saloon 15 Wesvaal. Neglect has caused damage to the malthoid,

timber and interior. Sanrasm had already fi tted some new planks,

but replacing one complete side of the roof timbers and rot at

both ends of the clerestory will take some time. Work has been

undertaken on 1930-built coach 7104 (type U-26-C) and the roof

of 1938-built E-13 type 2nd class coach 2123. A-28 type dining-

car no 229 Shashi is also receiving attention.

The latter was built by SAR in Pretoria in 1937. Quite a number

of planks have been renewed, using material from the coach

bodies on their sides which will later be scrapped. All the

malthoid has been renewed and new cover strips fi tted at roof

level, as well as new gutters all round.

to be mounted on the cradle behind the cab on the left-hand

side. It seems there will be suffi cient space, though it may be

necessary to provide an indent in the coal bunker.

Southern Africa steam 2012Geoff’s Trains is planning a 20 May - 11 June steam tour to

Southern Africa next year embracing Zimbabwe, Zambia,

Botswana and South Africa. In South Africa, the itinerary includes

running behind Reefsteamers’ classes 15F and 25NC between

Bethlehem and Ficksburg; a ride behind the preserved class

GMAM and class NGG11 in the KwaZulu Natal hinterland; and

Class 14A no 512 and class 12 no 204 are popular attractions in

Livingstone, Zambia. Photo: G. Cooke.

RAILWAY HERITAGE

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An informative section at the end of the book, contributed by

leading players in South Africa’s rail industry, brings the story up

to the present with many topical photos - and it takes the page-

count to more than 350. Which means you get your money’s worth

– and then some.

- LRD

ISBN 0-86846-113-XChris van Rensburg Publications (Pty) [email protected], postage & high-quality packing included

The 150th anniversary of railways in South Africa deserved

rather more ceremony than it enjoyed, but there was formidable

competition – it fell in the middle of 2010, coinciding with the

Soccer World Cup. Allen Jorgensen’s impressive chronicle goes a

long way towards making up for this. The year 2010 also marked

the tenth anniversary of the RailRoad Association of South Africa,

an organisation that promotes a meaningful return of freight from

road to rail.

It isn’t possible, of course, to cover every detail of 150 years’

event-fi lled history in 244 pages. A railway as colourful as that in

South Africa, with so many notable achievements to boast about,

needs more – much more - than a single book to do it justice.

But Allen has made a great job of it, his very comprehensive text

enlivened by more than a thousand photos, some seen before but

many unfamiliar, painstakingly sought out in the archives, dusted

off and enhanced. The layout and printing, in A4 hard-cover

format, is superb, complementing the thoroughness of the

content. Look out for David Hall-Green’s paintings for Rovos Rail.

The story builds from the early days to the turn of the 20th

century, trains during the Anglo-Boer War, Rhodes’ dream of the

line reaching Cairo and successive locomotive superintendents

designing locomotives that were truly “world-class”. These included

the very fi rst 4-8-2 engines seen anywhere. In the early twenties,

comparative tests resulted in South Africa abandoning the

articulated Mallets for the Garratt principle, successful examples

of which were among the most powerful steam engines on the

planet, never mind the 1,067mm gauge. Three decades later,

the legendary class 25 condensing engines solved the unending

problem of water scarcity in the Karoo.

Rail-related events during the hundred years to 2011 were

remarkable. Electrifi cation came comparatively early, on the main-

line to Durban from 1925 at 3kV DC and from Cape Town to its

suburbs at 1.5kV DC from 1927. The Sishen-Saldanha line followed

at 50kV AC in 1978, then Beaufort West-De Aar-Port Elizabeth in

1984 at the new standard - 25kV AC. These developments resulted

in the acquisition of dual-voltage locomotives, the classes 14E

(1990, 5,470hp) and 19E (2009, 4,000hp). The latest class 15E

(50kV AC, 6,000hp) are the most powerful locos in South Africa.

Progress in recent times is concisely recorded, with many key

achievements highlighted – the 245km/h high-speed tests,

heavy-haul ore and coal lines, impressive concrete viaducts and

other feats of civil engineering including the 13km Hexton tunnel,

4km-long trains with remotely-controlled distributed power - all

on the supposedly restrictive “Cape” gauge. The opening of the

showpiece standard-gauge Gautrain system in June 2010 was a

fi tting milestone to mark South Africa’s 150th railway year.

Allen Jorgensen - best known

for his co-authorship of Steam

on the Veld, The Great Steam

Trek and Steam in Africa, three

defi nitive photographic tours

de force.

Headed by 3kV DC class 10E locos, the “Red Arrow” express conveying

Sappi paper from Ngodwana in Mpumalanga heads for Durban.

Eighty years ago, Dr Eric Manken photographed this class 15A 4-8-2

heading a passenger train out of Cape Town station under the largest

signal gantry in the country. It was replaced when the fi rst colour-light

installation in South Africa opened in February 1928.


REVIEW

The 150th Anniversary of the First Railway and the 10th Anniversary of the RailRoad Association of South AfricaBy Allen A Jorgensen

New Tubular Modular Track installation at Kwa Mashu Station, Durban.

The first of its kind in South Africa on 1070mm platform to rail height.

World Class track meeting World Class Safety Standards.

Step offnot down.

Tel: +27 12 803 4201 Fax: +27 12 803 5192 Email: [email protected] www.tubulartrack.co.za

Documents

Railways Africa September 2011