TFR takes a giant step towards clockwork predictability

Yesterday saw the launch by Transnet Freight Rail of a new scheduled railway service designed to provide fixed arrival and departure times for every train on its timetable. Initially introduced on the North East and Eastern Corridors, the fixed schedule concept will be rolled out to the remainder of its network in phases - to be completed by mid 2012. TFR chief executive Siyabonga Gama told FTW Online that Natcor would come on stream in the next phase. “We also want to increase the number of trains on this corridor – currently 35 a day each way – to 55 in the next three years,” he said. And while cable theft is a major issue on the Natcor corridor, he said that TFR was stepping up vigilance to fight the scourge. The first phase of fixed scheduling will apply on the Phalaborwa/Maputo and Richards Bay line for magnetite; Welgedag/Palmford for Majuba coal; Uitkyk/Komatipoort for TCM coal; and Phalaborwa/Richards Bay for rock phosphate. “This initiative will build on the efficiency improvements that have been brought about by deploying the new EMD and GE Diesel locomotives, working in partnership with our key customers and supply chain partners,” Gama said. The rail utility previously relied on ‘tonnage-based dispatching’ in which trains were run only when enough traffic had been accumulated. Although this approach tried to minimise the total number of trains needed by maximising their size, in practice it disrupted the efficient utilisation of crews, locomotives and equipment. It also yielded inconsistent transit times, making delivery service less reliable.” It’s all part of TFR’s drive to win back customer confidence in order to move rail-friendly cargo off the roads and back to rail.