Gordhan praises Transnet for repairs to rail and port operations after floods

THE Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan has praised Transnet for the significant progress it has made in repairing operational areas damaged by the recent KwaZulu-Natal floods. Most of the rehabilitation work, comprising design and construction, was performed by Transnet’s Rail Network Construction (RNC) division, while 10 percent of the work was outsourced.

The KZN Growth Coalition has welcomed the urgent steps taken by Transnet to repair damage caused by the recent KwaZulu-Natal floods, which will make a substantial difference in restoring economic activity in the province.

The repair work relates to four major areas: the reconstruction of the railway line between Durban and Cato Ridge; the reconstruction of parts of Bayhead Road where 60 metres of road collapsed, the creation of a new access road to the Port of Durban, and maintenance of the railway line which was brought forward.

Transnet Freight Rail reopened a single line on the Container Corridor between Durban and Cato Ridge on 13 June, where operations had been suspended since 11 April 2022. Rail operations on the Container Corridor, which moves freight between Gauteng and Durban, will now resume on the single line. Additional capacity will be achieved on the mainline in September, when repairs on the second line are completed and it is reopened to traffic.

Transnet National Ports Authority at the Port of Durban successfully commissioned the fourth lane on Bayhead Road on 10 June, as part of the second phase of the rehabilitation project. Bayhead Road leads to the Durban Container Terminals and the Island View Precinct in the Port, and was severely damaged when parts of the road were washed away.

Transnet National Ports Authority had successfully completed Phase 1 of the road’s rehabilitation project on 16 April, a few days after the flooding. This included the stabilisation and opening up of the road with one lane going in each direction. A third lane was opened on 8 May.

To relieve congestion on Bayhead Road, a bypass road leading to the Durban Container Terminals and the Island View Complex has been identified. A great deal of work has already taken place to clear this road for the development of the new access pathway. The removal of existing rail tracks and clearing of bush have been completed, with earthworks and placement of pioneer layers currently in progress. Work on the alternative bypass road is expected to be completed towards the end of November 2022.

TFR brought the annual planned maintenance shutdown on the Container Corridor forward by three months and finished the work in the last week of May. The work will improve the efficiency and reliability of the infrastructure, network renewal, removal of speed restrictions, theft prevention, and resilience to adverse weather. The benefits of this work will be realised once the second line is open and the entire network is operational.

The recovery from the damage caused by the flooding in Kwazulu-Natal will enable exporters and importers that use the port of Durban to return to normality, and Transnet will endeavour to ensure that all shipping lines continue to service the Port. Much work still needs to be done in the south basin area, and Transnet continues to work with the province, municipality and other stakeholders in that area to conclude this work speedily.