Rail containers escape rain disruptions

While the heavy rains
in South Africa caused
floods that disrupted
the transport of coal,
chrome and corn exports
to the ports over the
early part of this month,
according to Transnet
Freight Rail (TFR), this
would seem to be only
for bulk shipments.
The container trade
out of SA, meantime,
appears to have been
only minimally affected.
Lawrie Bateman, MD
of MSC Logistics, told
FTW that because the
main Johannesburg-
Durban rail link has
been running smoothly,
container traffic has not
been affected.
TFR reported last
week that on one day
alone, rains caused
the cancellation of 18
coal-carrying trains
and three days later a
train carrying chrome
derailed.