Freight ring concept will facilitate Gauteng's rail ambitins

The development of a freight ring concept for Gauteng remains a high priority for Transnet Freight Rail. Speaking at the monthly Transport Forum in Johannesburg recently, Deidre Strydom, senior manager capital planning for Transnet, said with Gauteng being the economic hub of the country it was important to develop infrastructure around the province to service it efficiently. “The role of infrastructure development is critical for Transnet,” said Strydom. “We are in an era where the importance of rail is being realised and where it is coming into its own. It is not just about the maintenance of the rail network and rolling stock but also developing infrastructure to ensure the country remains globally competitive.” She said with Gauteng at the centre of most regional and port connections in southern Africa it was imperative to address infrastructure in the province. “Millions of tons of freight move through the province and it becomes challenging when the freight trains are sharing infrastructure with passenger trains. It is therefore important to find viable and separate routes where possible.” Strydom said areas for the ring had already been identified and the building of a dedicated freight network around Gauteng was part and parcel of future development and infrastructure plans. “A freight ring can potentially facilitate the uninterrupted flow of freight, while providing a key link between hubs and terminals. It will also address the matter around removing freight from the already congested passenger routes.” Already land has been identified in areas such as Vereeniging and Meyerdal for the first stage of development in the ring. “The eventual freight ring will, however, not be closed on the western side because no feasible route was found. Instead a bypass will be built in the west of the province connecting it to areas such as Rustenburg.