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.