‘Rail proponents need to consider the power issue’

I refer to the letter by Allen
Jorgensen of the RailRoad
Association (FTW October
26, 2012).
Firstly, I support greater
intermodal usage between
road and rail and do not
believe an adversarial
attitude contributes anything
towards moving this agenda
forward. Proven reliability
and consistency – especially
on pricing year on year –
from rail, would also go a
long way towards achieving
this goal.
My biggest concern in
this debate is one that the
writer chose to actually hold
up as a positive – that being
electricity. He mentions that
most of rail is electrified
and produced in South
Africa whilst road relies on
problematic international
supplies.
Does the writer live in
the same country that I
do? You know, the one that
places on TV every night
appeals to “switch off”,
the same country that pays
certain major users such as
smelters, kilns, foundries
to switch off to save power
(thus losing SA production),
that is in the process (rightly)
of electrifying more homes
for its citizens? I believe
I am being conservative
when I say I do not believe
this situation will change
drastically within the next
ten years.
Yet the writer is
advocating an increased
usage of rail NOW ie, more
electricity – a commodity
we are in short supply of
now and will be for the
foreseeable future.
We need electricity to
live in our homes, to run
our computers at work,
charge our cell phones ie,
maintain and improve our
lifestyle. If the true cost of
sacrificing that is weighed
against the increased use
of rail against road, it is a
no brainer – we cannot as
a country support anything
that places that at risk due to
a growing demand to run rail
when a perfectly reasonable
– under the circumstances –
alternative is available.
Let’s secure our supply of
electricity before debating
the above. Or have we
forgotten 2008 so quickly?
Or would he like to
mention diesel/electric
locomotives thus negating
his point on home-grown
electricity – so much greener
– but still, with problematic
international supplies? It’s
called being an honest broker
and debating meaningfully!
Kevin Martin CEO –
Freightliner Transport
Durban.