Transnet Freight Rail (TRF) has announced the reopening of its North Corridor Coal (NCC) Line 1 on 17 May following a derailment days earlier on the 11th.
Yet this was promptly followed by another derailment on Line 2, delaying operations on the Mqwabe Bypass.
Last Wednesday as Line 1 was about to be reopened, a loaded wagon from Koornfontein entered the main line of the NCC’s Line 2 without permission, causing a collision with a parked TFR train.
The unauthorised use of Line 2 by 3rd-party wagon resulted in the derailment of 48 loaded wagons and coal spillage.
The initial repairs to Line 1 were conducted as a result of a similar incident when a train operating on Line 1 derailed.
The 11 May incident affected the movement of 49 loaded wagons on the Mqwabe Bypass between Dumbe and Vryheid.
During the initial repairs, trains used Line 2 at a reduced capacity.
However, although the most recent coal spillage has been cleared, repairs to Line 2 are expected to take several more days to be completed.
TFR has confirmed that an investigation into the circumstances of the most recent derailment is underway.
