TFR to test-drive bimodal transport

The 50/50 joint venture
between Transnet and US
company RailRunner on a
specialised bimodal (road
on rail) transport system in
SA is currently in the early
stages of the engineering
process, according to Mike
Asefovitz, spokesman for
Transnet Freight Rail
(TFR).
“We are now
commencing with
homologation,” he told
FTW, “to change the
technology from rail
standard gauge to Cape
gauge. All this will be
performed in this country,
by local engineers, under
the auspices and guidance
of the American engineers.”
As soon as the
homologation design was
done and manufacture
of 20 pilot units was
complete, he added, the
trials would start. “We
anticipate the initial units
will be tested in 2017 or
early 2018.”
TFR hopes to have two
trains with 40 wagons
each for the initial rollout.
These will be locally
manufactured, as will the
several hundreds of trailers
required for the planned
daily operation on the Cape
Town to Gauteng Cape
Corridor (CapeCor).
Transnet Engineering
(TE) is
expected to
manufacture
the initial
units as part
of a safety
and training
programme,
according to
Asefovitz.
“TE is also
expected to
participate
in an open,
transparent
and competitive two-stage
tender process among local
manufacturers, which will
determine RailRunner’s
selection of longer-term
manufacturing suppliers.”
With 40 unit trains
the typical speeds will
be 60-100 kilometres an
hour (kmh), compared to
the US speed – approved
by the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) – of
up to 70 miles per hour
(112kmh).
RailRunner SA (RRSA)
has initially been allocated
CapeCor, on which it will
handle general freight.
“But,” said Asefovitz,
“additional
markets and
corridors are
a possibility
in the
future.”
And, in
answer to
the question
of where, at
each end of
the corridor,
the loading
points
would be, he
said that there had been a
preliminary identification
of two potential terminals.
“One,” he added, “will be
at Bellville in the Western
Cape and the other at
Isando in Gauteng. Both
provide a highway-friendly
catchment radius of
100km that includes a
large number of logistics
companies and shippers
who can immediately
benefit from RailRunner
services. Both Transnet
and RRSA are continuously
evaluating route
optimisation, so these
potential terminal sites
may change.”
Transnet plans to offer
a scheduled service. This
means that it will be
published in advance to
shippers. Congestion
is always a possibility
based on external traffic
patterns, according
to Asefovitz. “But
RailRunner’s driveon,
drive-off ‘Terminal
Anywhere’ technology
assures minimum ramp
times and efficient
terminal operation,” he
said.
A primary advantage of the
road-on-rail system, he added,
was that trucking companies
did not have to manage 40 to
100 drivers continuously on
the road over long distances.
And the response from a
number of large general
freight customers had been
very encouraging, Asefovitz
noted.
INSERT
We anticipate the
initial units will be
tested in 2017 or
early 2018.
– Mike Asefovitz