South Africa’s rail reform will ultimately be judged by the freight capacity it delivers, not simply the number of operators granted network access.
With 11 Rail Access Agreements finalised by the Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager – TRIM, James Holley, CEO of Traxtion, and Reneilwe Mokoena, Investment Director at Harith General Partners, examine the conditions needed to translate private-sector participation into sustained investment and reliable rail services.
Their article addresses operator readiness, the allocation of network capacity, infrastructure performance and the service-level commitments needed to support investment.
They also draw on Traxtion’s Project Vector, a R3.4 billion rolling-stock programme involving 46 locomotives and approximately 920 wagons, to illustrate the scale of capital required. Once operational, the project is expected to move approximately 4.5 million tonnes of freight annually.
For Holley and Mokoena, the next phase of reform requires accountability from both train operators and the infrastructure manager, alongside the operating certainty needed to attract long-term capital.
Tags: Rail
