Road-rail combo solution gains traction

A transport solution that
involves a combination of
road and rail is increasingly
gaining track in the country.
According to Ignatius
Maré, business manager: rail
for 4PL.COM, it has proved
to be a successful approach
on several of the company’s
current projects, allowing
for the best of each transport
mode to be utilised.
“At least 70% of the cargo
moved by 4PL.COM is still
moved by road. This can
be attributed to a number
of factors including the
lack of rail infrastructure at
loading and/or offloading
facilities, client preferences
and perceptions, and the
timeframe allowed for
the delivery,” he said.
“Ultimately the most
important factors when
determining which mode of
transport to use remain the
availability of capacity and
which rate makes the most
sense at the time.”
But, said Maré, a growing
trend was to combine road
and rail solutions. “Utilising
both modes to improve the
efficiency and cost of the
supply chain enables us to
customise service offerings
to meet specific needs. It
makes sense to use both
road and rail.”
And he believes the
future for rail in South
Africa looks very good.
“The inadequate rail
infrastructure is being
addressed by Transnet
Freight Rail through its
much-publicised capital
expenditure programme,”
he said. “The biggest
challenge the railways face
is to continue combating
the negative perception
regarding rail in South
Africa. By improving
reliability and operational
efficiency, confidence in rail
will be restored. Already
a sense of commitment to
improve can be detected in
day-to-day dealings with
TFR.”
According to Maré there
is no doubt that rail will win
back some of the market
share from road transporters
as road continues to be
negatively impacted by the
increasing fuel costs and the
rise in added expenses such
as toll fees and the impact of
congestion.
“At the same time
rail is investing in its
operations to achieve a
more efficient service. The
implementation of scheduled
rail services and the focus
on less-than-train-load
business will certainly
improve the competitiveness
of rail.”