A joint operating centre (JOC)
to promote regional railway
integration and improve
cross-border efficiencies will
open in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
within the next two months.
This follows the
establishment of JOCs in
Johannesburg; Maputo,
Mozambique; and
Mahalapye, Botswana
over the past few months
to synergise rail activities,
planning and communication
between the different
countries on three important
trade corridors namely,
north-south, east-west and
Maputo.
“We see these joint
operating centres as a major
milestone towards creating
an efficient, cost-effective
rail transport system in the
southern African region. The
beauty of these centres is they
are staffed with independent
operators who have no
prior affiliation to any of
the national railway bodies
involved, ensuring neutrality,”
said Transnet Freight Rail
chief executive, Siyabonga
Gama, adding that the centres
are also mandated to address
certain issues on the ground.
Speaking to FTW on the
sidelines of the Southern
Africa Railways Association
(Sara) conference in Midrand
last week, he said that the
JOCs would be responsible
for tracking, monitoring and
transparent reporting on trains
crossing the borders. “This will
allow all regional rail bodies to
identify where the bottlenecks
are and address them, ensuring
real-time communication and
deviation-management,” said
Gama. He
added that the
JOC operating
model
formed part
of Transnet’s Africa strategy
and was aligned with Sara’s
strategic integration objectives.
“Misaligned regional goals,
lack of communication
between stakeholders
and varying standards
of operation have
been some of the
biggest challenges
faced in our integration
objectives. The creation
of the JOCs will
facilitate joint
planning
and step
up overall
corridor
performance,” said Stephenson
Ngubane, Sara board
member and chief executive of
Swaziland Railways.
Other initiatives
to align strategies,
driven by Sara,
include working
towards an
automated customs
clearance system and
creating regional
policies around
safety.
INSERT & CAPTION
Joint operating
centres will be
responsible for
tracking, monitoring
and transparent
reporting on trains
crossing the borders.
– Siyabonga Gama
