‘High-speed rail link misses the point’

The proposal by Transport Minister S’bu Ndebele for a possible high-speed rail link between Johannesburg and Durban has stirred up heated industry debate, with the South African Road Federation (SARF) suggesting that the money would be far better spent on a truck superhighway. Durban-based SA Association of Freight Forwarders consultant Dave Watts however points out that it’s not the speed of the train that needs to be addressed, but rather the efficient service delivery at source and destination. “With a block train taking around 18 to 20 hours on rail, not that much longer than a truck between the two cities, one really questions why the need for a high speed rail link,” says Watts. “What is needed is "high speed" delivery to and from rail at both source and destination. I believe TFR understands this, but whether they are able to address it to the satisfaction of potential rail users is another question altogether. “My understanding is that even with TFR's ongoing efforts to improve service and delivery times the "super highway" route that is block trains between Durban terminals and City Deep currently operates well below maximum capacity which I understand is around nine trains per day in each direction – or during a 31 day month almost 56000 TEUs.” The SARF meanwhile points out that although high-speed rail links have proved effective in other parts of the world, they have all been prone to intensive teething problems, and in most cases, considerable cost overruns. SARF president, Mutshutshu Nxumalo points to an independent broad economic study conducted four years ago, which demonstrated that for the same capital outlay of R15 billion the dedicated roadfreight highway option could create up to four times more new freight transport capacity than if the same amount were spent on the rail mode.