Transnet gets rolling

Less waiting and more freighting - that's the goal of a deal between Transnet and its counterparts in Swaziland and Mozambique.

And after that, Transnet has its eye on all of Africa.

South Africa's state-owned freight company yesterday belatedly launched the Maputo Corridor Joint Operating Centre, with Swaziland Railway and Mozambique's rail and port operators.

The centre has been running for a year and, according to Transnet, has already resulted in less delay at the Komatipoort border post and Maputo's ports.

Transnet CEO Brian Molefe said: "Transnet has also established centres like this in Zimbabwe and Botswana, but neither has been announced formally."

Trains at Komatipoort are now being passed through 24% faster, and vessels in the harbour have had their turnaround time reduced by 57%, said Molefe.

Transnet will break ground on a railway line to Swaziland in March, he said.

Transnet Freight Rail is looking at the rest of Africa as a growth opportunity as lower iron ore prices and reduced enthusiasm for South Africa's coal are putting some of its biggest domestic customers under pressure.

In the past year Transnet volumes to Mozambique have grown from 2.6million tons to 4.5million tons.

By linking Swaziland and Mozambique's rail operators, and Mozambique's port authorities, Transnet said it now has an integrated cross-border railway plan for coal, magnetite, containers and fuel.

This means that the partners' investment plans, maintenance standards, safety procedures, operational philosophies and skills development programmes will increasingly be aligned.

Mozambique Minister of Transport and Communications Gabriel Muthisse said the number of trains entering Maputo's port had increased from 17 a week to 42.

"This can serve as an example for the rest of Africa.

"The railways and the ports [of the three countries] should not compete with each other but should instead increase the volumes for everyone."