Plan to get back to relying on rail freight under way

A bid to resuscitate the defunct rail transport system for goods as an alternative to road freight transport is underway.

Public enterprises portfolio committee chairperson Lungi Mnganga-Gcabashe said this would reduce traffic congestion and road accidents and save time and money, which would impact positively on prices, boost the rural economy and create jobs for marginalised, outlying communities.

State-owned logistics utility Transnet has been asked to consider changing its mode of transport for goods from road freight to rail.

“The most important issue is to reduce the damage caused to road surface by trucks freighting goods across our country.

“Our railways infrastructure is underutilised, while the roads are congested,” Mnganga-Gcabashe said.

“The state of national roads and the high rate of road deaths concerns the committee. Hence, Transnet must focus on moving freight from road to rail.”

The existing rail infrastructure might need upgrading after years of neglect or, in some cases, being decommissioned. The committee discussed this recently after a briefing from Transnet on its annual report and financial statement for the 2016-17 financial year.

Most of the infrastructure has not been used since the switch to road freight in the run-up to the 1994 elections.

Railway lines linked to factories were cut off from main lines as industries had no choice but to use road freight to transport produce. There were massive job losses as railway workers who maintained the infrastructure and those employed by factories were retrenched.

The road transport system benefited the white-dominated freight industry and fleet sizes increased due to demand.

The committee emphasised that expanding rail infrastructure is key to industrialisation. “If we revive the rail transport system, the youth could also be motivated to get skills associated with it, such as engineering”.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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