TFR container growth exceeds expectation

Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has seen a whopping 47% growth in containers over the past three years on the main industrial artery between Johannesburg and Durban. According to Bheka Xaba, TFR executive manager, containers are the future of freight transport as they not only allow for any commodity to be moved, they are also safer and more reliable in the long run. Adds Thuthuka Dladla, senior manager: inland intermodal and automotive operation, “Containers are also the cleanest way of moving freight especially with greening becoming more and more important.” In 2007 TFR moved 273 000 containers compared to the 352 000 in 2009, between Durban and Johannesburg. “Our target for 2010 financial year is 424 000, which if we succeed will mean a 55% increase since 2007.” At present TFR has 35% of the market share of long haul container movement in the country between Durban and Johannesburg and 30% on the Cape and Port Elizabeth corridors, and is continuously working to improve these figures. With an operating capacity of 240 000 TEUs, City Deep has found itself in deep waters having handled 250 430 TEUs in 2009, while 294 000 are expected to be handled in the latest financial year – well short of the industry demand. “We are bringing forward investments in an effort to increase capacity to handle the container demand,” says Xaba. “At Kaserne we have a capacity of 72 000 TEUs and the facility was originally intended for domestic use, but now we are handling imports and exports at this facility too. We are expecting to handle some 68 000 TEUs at Kaserne in the 2010/2011 financial year.” TFR Containers is the kind of success story one tends to see only in the private sector, says Xaba. “The growth in demand has exceeded Transnet exco’s expectations and therefore the capex spend has not matched the growth. However, through collaboration with the private sector, we have increased capacity in the short term by signing an agreement that will allow for the use of rail infrastructure from the private sector.” At the newly established ‘Container Rail Industry Forum’, one TFR customer said that he was impressed with the improved service being offered at City Deep and that the volume capability had improved from accepting only 35% of his demand to over 80% of it.