Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has announced that its Cape Corridor will be closed for annual maintenance for 10 days.
The closure affects the manganese main line, which runs from Hotazel to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).
The maintenance work began yesterday and will continue until 21 April.
TFR has reported that the line recorded its highest volume of traffic in a decade, reaching 9.7 million tons at the end of the 2022/23 financial year.
The maintenance work aims to provide a reliable and safe network for customers, ensuring operational efficiencies, as per a statement issued by TFR.
Rail network teams will carry out the maintenance work along the 1 587 km distance of the manganese line.
This will be coordinated with customers and other Transnet operating divisions to ensure that everyone can use the maintenance window.
Moreover, local communities will benefit from short-term employment on the maintenance projects conducted before and after the shutdown period.
The scope of work for this year's maintenance work includes sleeper replacement, ballast screening and regulating, rail replacement, refurbishment and replacement, tiger wire installation, as well as fibre replacement and maintenance.
The maintenance work will help remove temporary speed restrictions in some sections that have constrained the network, and also recover train slots.
This will enable TFR to increase its manganese throughput on the line.
The Cape Corridor has been working with stakeholders to ensure the smooth execution of the projects in the affected depots.
TFR has stated that the safety of employees and the public is a priority during the shutdown.
