Rail capacity will be a tight squeeze

Can the the rail line to Saldanha and the port itself keep pace, is the critical question. According to the research, it’s going to be a close run thing. Fortunately, MOL’s Iain McIntosh told FTW, although some of that 12-mt local demand goes by the ore line to the Saldanha Steel Works, the bulk of it goes by rail and road to other steel making plants dotted at other places around the country. So the criticality issue only applies to the Orex line and the Saldanha port. But, if Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) calculations are correct, these two transport facilities will shave through the increasing demand by the skin of their teeth. According to the McIntosh studies, these parastatals embarked on a terminal expansion plan in 2001. This programme – budgeted for the equivalent of R630-million – has focused on equipment optimisation through electrical upgrades, procurement of rolling stock, optimisation of chutes and conveyors and upgrade of the ship loader conveyor and installation of dual ship loading monitors. The project also includes an upgrade of the rail line with increased crossing loops and is part of this 1C project which started in 2001 and was intended to increase capacity from Saldanha port’s original capacity of 28-mt to 60-mt per annum.