Transport Minister Sindi Chikunga says they are putting plans in place to increase volumes of cargo transported from road to rail in a bid to revive Transnet’s rail network.
Transnet has witnessed a decline in its volumes, with Public Minister Pravin Gordhan telling Parliament last week that volumes dropped from 226 million tonnes to 149 million tonnes.
But they wanted to increase volumes through a number of interventions.
Chikunga has also reiterated government plans to increase volumes on the rail network with the Freight Road to Rail Roadmap at the centre of the plans.
She also said the logistics task team that was formed earlier this year by President Cyril Ramaphosa was taking the lead in these matters.
The logistics task team comprises business and government to revive the rail network.
Cosatu and its affiliate, the National Union of Mineworkers, recently warned that the collapse of the rail network will cost mining companies 35,000 jobs.
This was because volumes of cargo were no longer transported by rail but by trucks.
Chikunga, who was replying to a written parliamentary question from EFF MP Nontando Nolutshungu, said they have set aside billions on projects to increase cargo on the rail network.
“Interventions to move cargo from road to rail will be accelerated in conjunction with Transnet. The total budget for the year under review is estimated at around R12 billion across a number of initiatives, including Road to Rail,” said Chikunga.
They are working closely with Transnet and Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) on initiatives to increase cargo on the rail network.
“A number of corridors are under way with detailed plans on how to deliver the budget of 183.8mt of volume in 2023/24 (this includes the return of staged locomotives, reducing the challenges relating to security and infrastructure vandalism which impede the rod to rail initiatives by TFR),” said Chikunga.
“The Department of Transport has embarked on a process to develop a Freight Road to Rail Migration Plan. We are currently consulting all relevant stakeholders to ensure that we understand the industry requirements in order to move commodities from road to rail. These range from locomotive requirements to slots and availability to the rail infrastructure and contract in order to ensure the seamless intermodal interface between road and rail,” she said. .
Chikunga said the logistics task team was working closely with the presidency to address these issues and ensure the revamping of the rail infrastructure and increasing volumes of cargo on the rail.
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