TFR’s fixed scheduling on all routes on track

Transnet Freight Rail expects to complete the roll-out of its fixed scheduling of freight trains on all routes by September/October this year, CEO Siyabonga Gama told FTW on the sidelines of Transnet’s results presentation last week. There have been some hiccups on the Natcor corridor – scheduled for implementation in mid-2012 – but Gama was confident that the October deadline would be met. “We’re already running 55 trains a day between Johannesburg and Durban and are seeing the benefits in increased volumes.” That much was clear from the results released by Transnet CEO Brian Molefe in Johannesburg last Tuesday, where TFR was singled out as one of the star performers, registering 10.4% volume growth, and moving 201 million tons – the highest in its history. “This performance includes a significant improvement in the number of trains operated per day,” said CEO Brian Molefe. “In October 2011, we ran the highest number of trains at 1 444, from about 800 trains in the previous period.” General freight volumes rose 9.9% to 81.0mt from 73.7mt in the previous financial year, while containers on rail increased 21.5% to 762 760 TEUs from 627 825, indicating a growth in market share and significant strides in taking rail-friendly cargo off our roads, he added. “Our new railways operating strategy is beginning to pay off with on-time departures and arrivals for GFB improving by 18.9% and 17.7% respectively compared to the previous year.” Export coal volumes increased by 8.8% to 67.7mt from 62.2mt, while iron ore volumes jumped by an impressive 13.2% to 52.3mt from the previous year’s 46.2mt. Group revenue for the year increased by 20.9% to R45.9 billion from R38.0 billion in the previous period, mainly due to growth in volumes in the general freight, export coal, export iron ore and container volumes as well as an 18.0% improvement in productivity, he said. CAPTION Brian Molefe ... big improvements in on-time scheduling.