Tenders invited for East London - Umtata rail line

Project to be completed in two years Anna Cox THE EASTERN Cape provincial department of transport has invited local and international bids for the preliminary design of the planned East London/Umtata railway line project. The winners will be announced by mid March. The project involves the preliminary design and refurbishment of the existing line and related facilities from Amabele Station to Umtata, as well as the design of a new timber siding in Umtata. The project is expected to go a long way towards encouraging growth in the timber industry in the region and exports to foreign markets. The existing Maclear/ Port Elizabeth line will not cope with the expected timber harvest from the region by 2004. The new siding in Umtata will facilitate the storage and transportation of timber from the plantations at Ugie, Maclear and Langeni. An improved East London railway line will also be welcomed by the Eastern Cape farmers who currently produce 1,2 million tons of wool a year, which is expected to increase to about 5,2 million tons from 2004. Improvements on the N2 will improve road conditions but road transport alone will not sustain socio-economic development projects in the corridor during the next decades. It is envisaged the project will be completed within two years.