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.”