One of the coal-carrying lines to the Port of Richards Bay was declared open for bulk traffic at 18:45 on January 18, more than five hours ahead of the anticipated clearing of midnight last night, according to an initial update by Transnet Freight Rail (TFR).
A statement said: “Recovery crews have been working around the clock to restore operations on the line following the accident in which two trains collided on Sunday, January 14.”
TFR added that if inclement wet weather in the greater Richards Bay area allowed recovery work to continue, Line 1 would also be open for use by midnight on Saturday, January 20.
The opening of Line 2 on Thursday evening was made possible through a joint effort by public and private-sector stakeholders.
An investigation into what caused the collision in the early hours of last Sunday morning, when a loaded train rammed into a stationary train near Elubana, is ongoing.
TFR has also said that all personnel involved in the accident have passed medical examination.
