Transnet SOC has decided to engage the market, as part of its partnerships strategy, to invest in and grow Transnet Freight Rail’s (TFR) containerised business, the parastatal announced on Friday.
Transnet spokesperson Ayanda Shezi said the parastatal would issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to the market to identify parties interested in entering into an operating lease with TFR for the operation and maintenance of the Container Corridor (the line between Johannesburg and Durban) for a period of 20 years.
The Container Corridor rail mainline is a fully electrified double-tracked rail line running from Booth in KwaZulu-Natal to Union in Gauteng. It forms the backbone of the country’s manufacturing sector.
“While the mainline is 670km in route length, the double line and various major marshalling yards and enabling rail lines take the total track length of the Container Corridor to 1 621km,” Shezi said.
“The operating lease will provide for the required investment in the rehabilitation, upgrade and maintenance of the rail network and rolling stock assets, as well as the operations of the Container Corridor, which includes the Bayhead back-of-port terminal and defined inland terminals of City Deep, Kascon and Bayhead,” she added.
The involvement of the private sector is intended to result in “a significant shift of containers from road to rail, and increased operational reliability and efficiency”.
“The RFQ released is not intended to, and will not, impose any legal obligation on Transnet.
"Transnet has prepared this RFQ for the sole purpose of providing general information about the Container Corridor, and to assist interested parties in determining whether to respond to the RFQ,” Shezi said.
The RFQ will be made available on the Transnet website and the National Treasury e-tender portal.
Shortlisted respondents will be invited to submit proposals to Transnet through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process.
