Spoornet plans customer strategy session

Joy Orlek THE LEVEL of commitment from the freight industry to make rail work is evident from the flood of responses to an FTW appeal for constructive input from readers on how Spoornet could improve its service and attract more business. An article on FTNow, our online sister publication, encouraged readers to submit their suggestions which we forwarded to senior manager strategy, Alex Masianoga. Extracts from some of these responses are published below. Spoornet has listened, taken note and is ready to take action, says Masianoga. A customer strategy session is planned for May and will include CEO Siyabonga Gama. Further details will be revealed as soon as these are confirmed. Why not develop a hover train? • Develop a new train plan. Drivers are not to leave train unmanned near hotspots. Wait for security to arrive. • Get rid of old locos. Why not develop a hover train that glides on air so that expensive electrical cables are cut out. OHTE copper cables are stolen daily • OHTE cables not to be made of copper. Let’s look at an alternative to copper that is also a good conductor • Rail line to be inspected regularly as for the Transkei line it is unstable as the Phelophepa train cannot get in. • Innovative initiatives to be looked at in other countries with success records Calvin Jonson, Spoornet security, Eastern Cape ‘Hasten privatisation’ Spoornet must hasten privatisation of certain lines as a pilot project. Its customers are some of the potential bidders. Most supply/logistics problems will be killed immediately. Timothy Njeza , business strategy manager, NPA. Decentralise decision-making Volumes can be written about Spoornet’s decline over the past five years. However, as a 100% rail supporter, we know that their problem is operational and started with the inception of the Next Week’s Business System. Solutions: • Scrap this system and revert to what was in place before. • Decentralise decision-making power back to the regions regarding operational matters. • Find competent personnel who want to work and don’t treat customers as if Spoornet was the principal. Martin Minny, Southern African Cargo Logistics. ‘Detailed tracking site please’ The shopping list could be endless but I understand that they have to start somewhere. • More people on the help desk for tracking • A detailed tracking site connected to the port site. Can you put train and truck numbers on the site instead of just railed. Will also be helpful if you can extend the tracking into the destination terminal. This will alleviate the need for more staff on the help desk. • An organisational structure of the correct people to contact when we have a problem. In other words, who deals with discharging the train, planning, parking, etc Daily communication of news in the terminals. If there are delays, derailments, gantries down etc. Amanda Nicolin, forwarding supervisor, Z A Trans Logistics. Let’s talk! We have been in existence for 10 years and are major Spoornet users as we specialise in the rail movement of various bulk commodities within RSA and neighbouring states. Over these 10 years we have noticed a steady decline in service levels - these are now so bad that they are bordering on diabolical at present. Because of their poor service levels (which they acknowledge), why don’t they get the various customers together so they can have a face to face discussion – the market definitely has some solutions which they could bring to the table. We would love to give them our input but up till now they haven’t really been interested. Ian Wicks, Southern African Cargo Logistics.