High speed rail could slow down freight

High-speed rail links built with Chinese help may be good for passengers, but could force even more freight onto the road – as has happened in the United States and Europe. FTW found this out after Chinese Railway Minister Liu Zhijun and South African Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele announced the signing of a rail co-operation agreement during president Jacob Zuma’s recent three-day visit to China. The Chinese have been quick to get on track. Within days of the signing of the agreement, China’s biggest construction company, China Railway Group, was in talks about building railways in South Africa – since South Africa could be moving towards constructing the first dedicated high-speed rail line in sub-Saharan Africa. Standard Bank, which is 20% owned by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, subsequently confirmed it had signed a memorandum of understanding with China Railway to finance projects in the country. Zuma said in China that an agreement to build a US$30-bn high-speed line between Johannesburg and Durban could be among the projects envisaged. Both The Economist and Washington Post have warned that the now booming freight rail system in the United States would be severely affected by high speed trains running on the same tracks, as the passenger trains would have priority over freight. There could be other unintended consequences: The high speed rail link between Durban and Gauteng could also affect the viability of the new King Shaka airport in Durban, as it would compete directly with air.