April 1 will mark a
milestone for Transnet
Freight Rail when
preparations begin at
City Deep terminal
for the arrival of the
first new crane since
containerisation was
launched in 1977.
Three new cranes
have been ordered – the
first of which will be
delivered in March/April
next year – with the third
arriving in September.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is that
construction work to
prepare for the arrival
of the new equipment
will result in a loss of
handling capacity at
the terminal. “There’s
no gain without pain,”
says TFR’s executive
manager container &
automotive operations,
Frans Seloane. “We will
lose capacity during the
construction phase at
City Deep as half of the terminal’s loading and
off-loading space will
not be available, but we
have plans to address
shortfalls. And by doing
so we are able to shorten
the construction period
necessary to prepare for
the arrival of the new
equipment.
“The original plan
was to bring in three
cranes over three years.
But by cutting down
the programme by two
years and giving up the
additional space, we’ve
been able to escalate their
arrival, which is good
news in the long run.”
Contingency plans are
in place to address the
problems of restricted
space and any other
operational disruptions,
says Seloane
Sayed Mohamad ... ‘Clearing
cargo at CHC warehouse in
Pomona.’
At the Kaserne Container
Terminal, TFR has already
invested R20m in a new slab.
Work will be completed by
the end of this month and
the upgraded facility will
be up and running by the
beginning of May.
The new cranes are just
part of the upgrade plan
at City Deep. “We will be
doing a complete revamp
from ground stack to cranes
to equipment, including
the gate and security. The
business case has been
approved and now it’s a
question of cash flow.”
TFR milestone
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