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Queensland details 2030 rail vision
News from Railway Gazette International - Tue, 08/31/2010 - 08:53
AUSTRALIA: An 8 km metro and major expansion of suburban and regional rail services in Brisbane are at the heart of a 20-year transport blueprint published by the Queensland state government on August 31.
Entitled ‘Connecting SEQ 2031’, the plan would cost A$123bn if all the projects were adopted. According to State Premier Anna Bligh, this would deliver a three-fold increase in public transport usage in the greater Brisbane area.
Additional capacity for suburban trains would be created by the construction of a north-south tunnel under the Brisbane River, including four sub-surface stations in the city centre. The Cross-River Rail project is currently the subject of a A$25m feasibility study, jointly funded by the state and national governments.
Bligh added that the state government wanted to see journey times from the Gold and Sunshine coast towns to central Brisbane reduced to less than 1 h by raising line speeds to 160 km/h and using tilting rolling stock.
A total of 207 km of new line, additional track and metro is proposed, including:
- A 15 km suburban rail line between Alderley and Strathpine;
- Extension of QueenslandRail suburban services to Maroochydore (38 km), Coolangatta (17 km), Moreton Bay (12∙6 km), Springfield (16∙5 km), Ripley (13∙5 km) and Flagstone (31∙5 km);
- Extension of the Gold Coast Rapid Transit light rail line — construction of which began on August 1 — to Coolangatta;
- An 8 km east-west metro in central Brisbane from Toowong to Newstead/Bowen Hills.
The programme also provides for investment in freight traffic, including the development of the Acacia Ridge terminal, from where a dual-gauge freight line would be built to the Port of Brisbane.
‘We need to completely overhaul the way trains operate to deliver this level of growth’, Bligh said. ‘We are working to deliver a rail revolution.’
Categories: Prototype News
Track machine exports
News from Railway Gazette International - Tue, 08/31/2010 - 08:23
USA: On-track plant manufacturer Harsco Rail announced on August 30 that it had received orders worth US$13m to supply tamping and grinding machines to Bangladesh and Liberia.
Bangladesh Railway will receive a Mark VI ballast tamper to support the upgrading of its 1 676 mm gauge lines, which make up around 650 route-km of BR’s 2 835 km network. To be built in the USA, the tamper will provide automated trackbed levelling, ramping and track superelevation. It is due to be delivered to BR in 2011.
Harsco also intends to sell a reconditioned rail grinder for use in Liberia, also for delivery in 2011. The country’s only functioning route is the Bong Mining Railway, a 78 km standard gauge iron ore line that reopened in 2009 following repairs to damage caused during the country’s civil war.
In addition to these export contracts, Harsco has also received orders for its drone tamper design from three US railroads. The drone uses two-way wireless ethernet technology to follow a conventional lead tamper as an unmanned, fully-automated chase vehicle that can tamp track without an operator onboard.
Categories: Prototype News
Tikhvin signs first major wagon order
News from Railway Gazette International - Tue, 08/31/2010 - 04:53
RUSSIA: Private sector freight forwarder Transgarant has signed the first major agreement to purchase wagons from Tikhvin Railway Car Building Plant, a state-of-the-art factory being developed by ICT Group on a site 200 km east of St Petersburg in Leningrad oblast.
Transgarant has agreed to order 15 000 wagons from TVSZ in 2011-14, taking delivery of 2 000 in 2011, 3 000 the following year and 5 000 in each of the next two years. They will be a mix of open, flat and hopper vehicles, with the prices fixed as firm orders are placed.
The US$1bn TVSZ plant will produce hopper, open and container wagons to designs by Starfire Engineering & Technologies of the USA and Russia's Engineering Centre of Railcar Builders. They will bring North American technologies to the Russian market, and annual production capacity is expected to reach 13 000 wagons, 65 000 wheelsets and 80 000 tonnes of castings.
On August 26 TVSZ announced that it had obtained federal certification for its 19-9835 fertilizer wagon, and an initial batch was to be tested by Freight One. TVSZ said the capacity of 101 m3 is 7 m3 more than existing designs, and the 23·5 tonne axle load wagon offers larger loading hatches and a lower centre of gravity.
Categories: Prototype News
Tikhvin signs first major wagon order
News from Railway Gazette International - Tue, 08/31/2010 - 04:53
RUSSIA: Private sector freight forwarder Transgarant has signed the first major agreement to purchase wagons from Tikhvin Railway Car Building Plant, a state-of-the-art factory being developed by ICT Group on a site 200 km east of St Petersburg in Leningrad oblast.
Transgarant has agreed to order 15 000 wagons from TVSZ in 2011-14, taking delivery of 2 000 in 2011, 3 000 the following year and 5 000 in each of the next two years. They will be a mix of open, flat and hopper vehicles, with the prices fixed as firm orders are placed.
The US$1bn TVSZ plant will produce hopper, open and container wagons to designs by Starfire Engineering & Technologies of the USA and Russia's Engineering Centre of Railcar Builders. They will bring North American technologies to the Russian market, and annual production capacity is expected to reach 13 000 wagons, 65 000 wheelsets and 80 000 tonnes of castings.
On August 26 TVSZ announced that it had obtained federal certification for its 19-9835 fertilizer wagon, and an initial batch was to be tested by Freight One. TVSZ said the capacity of 101 m3 is 7 m3 more than existing designs, and the 23·5 tonne axle load wagon offers larger loading hatches and a lower centre of gravity.
Categories: Prototype News
Royal ceremony marks Botniabanan opening
News from Railway Gazette International - Tue, 08/31/2010 - 04:15
SWEDEN: A ceremony in Kramfors on August 28 attended by King Carl-Gustav XVI marked the start of a rolling inauguration of the Botniabanan in northeast Sweden. A royal train then left for Örnsköldsvik and Nordmaling, where further celebrations were held, before it reached Umeå in the evening.
Revenue passenger services began on August 30, although initially trains are only operating on the section between Örnsköldsvik and Umeå pending the completion of upgrading work on the Ådalsbanan, the route which connects the southern end of the Botniabanan to Sundsvall. Through services between Sundsvall and Umeå are expected to begin in August 2011.
Passenger services are operated on behalf of regional transport authority Norrtåg by Botniatåg, a joint venture of DB Regio Sverige and national operator SJ. Botniatåg is leasing 11 four-car Alstom Coradia Nordic EMUs from leasing company Transitio to operate an initial service of five daily round trips from Örnsköldsvik to Umeå at a maximum speed of 180 km/h.
A detailed preview of the opening of the Botniabanan was published in the August 2010 issue of Railway Gazette International.
Categories: Prototype News
Royal ceremony marks Botniabanan opening
News from Railway Gazette International - Tue, 08/31/2010 - 04:15
SWEDEN: A ceremony in Kramfors on August 28 attended by King Carl-Gustav XVI marked the start of a rolling inauguration of the Botniabanan in northeast Sweden. A royal train then left for Örnsköldsvik and Nordmaling, where further celebrations were held, before it reached Umeå in the evening.
Revenue passenger services began on August 30, although initially trains are only operating on the section between Örnsköldsvik and Umeå pending the completion of upgrading work on the Ådalsbanan, the route which connects the southern end of the Botniabanan to Sundsvall. Through services between Sundsvall and Umeå are expected to begin in August 2011.
Passenger services are operated on behalf of regional transport authority Norrtåg by Botniatåg, a joint venture of DB Regio Sverige and national operator SJ. Botniatåg is leasing 11 four-car Alstom Coradia Nordic EMUs from leasing company Transitio to operate an initial service of five daily round trips from Örnsköldsvik to Umeå at a maximum speed of 180 km/h.
A detailed preview of the opening of the Botniabanan was published in the August 2010 issue of Railway Gazette International.
Categories: Prototype News
Three Gorges route linked up
News from Railway Gazette International - Tue, 08/31/2010 - 01:00
CHINA: Work has been completed on the Yiwan Railway, paralleling the lake formed by the Three Gorges dam. Running through mountainous terrain to the south of the Yangtze valley, the 377 km east -west line links the city of Wanzhou east of Chongqing with Yichang in Hubei province via Lichuan and Enshi.
The route was proposed by Sun Yat-Sen in 1903 to shorten the rail journey between the mountainous regions in the southwest and eastern parts of China, but construction did not begin until 100 years later. The alignment includes 253 bridges and 159 tunnels, accounting for 74% of the route.
The line will form a key part of Chinese Railways’ emerging Chongqing – Wuhan – Shanghai corridor. Trains will initially reach Chongqing via the existing Wanzhou – Dazhou line, but completion of the 244 km Yuli line will create a direct route between Chongqing and Lichuan. With the opening of the Yiwan line, Chinese Railways expects to reduce Chongqing – Wuhan journey times from 22 h to just 5 h.
Categories: Prototype News
Three Gorges route linked up
News from Railway Gazette International - Tue, 08/31/2010 - 01:00
CHINA: Work has been completed on the Yiwan Railway, paralleling the lake formed by the Three Gorges dam. Running through mountainous terrain to the south of the Yangtze valley, the 377 km east -west line links the city of Wanzhou east of Chongqing with Yichang in Hubei province via Lichuan and Enshi.
The route was proposed by Sun Yat-Sen in 1903 to shorten the rail journey between the mountainous regions in the southwest and eastern parts of China, but construction did not begin until 100 years later. The alignment includes 253 bridges and 159 tunnels, accounting for 74% of the route.
The line will form a key part of Chinese Railways’ emerging Chongqing – Wuhan – Shanghai corridor. Trains will initially reach Chongqing via the existing Wanzhou – Dazhou line, but completion of the 244 km Yuli line will create a direct route between Chongqing and Lichuan. With the opening of the Yiwan line, Chinese Railways expects to reduce Chongqing – Wuhan journey times from 22 h to just 5 h.
Categories: Prototype News
RICHARDS BAY COAL LINE
News from Railways Africa - Tue, 08/31/2010 - 00:21
South Africa’s main coal terminal, which is expanding to become the world’s largest, will assign capacity to junior miners in line with the upgrade of the railway lines leading to the port, Reuters reports.
“Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) is due to expand its export capacity to 91 million tonnes by the end of this year from 76 million tonnes, but transport to the port may dictate how much of that new capacity can be used. In 2008, RBCT exported only 61.8 million tonnes of coal, partly due to delays and derailments on the coal lines and as logistics group Transnet struggles to bring all the necessary coal to the port.
“Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) is investing heavily to upgrade the railway infrastructure to be able to export up to 81 million tonnes, but has said it will refuse to invest more as long as returns are not guaranteed by long-term deals. RBCT said junior miners would be assigned port allocation in line with TFR’s improvements on the lines, adding negotiations with the new users were at an advanced stage. ‘New entrants would receive throughput capacity in line with the build up of TFR capacity until such time that TFR capacity is able to meet the 91 million tonnes per annum,’ it said.
“RBCT said interest from black economic empowerment mining firms was growing and it had undertaken preliminary studies to grow the terminal’s capacity beyond 91 million tonnes.”
Categories: Prototype News
Capita Symonds opens York rail office
News from Railway Gazette International - Mon, 08/30/2010 - 21:00
UK: Capita Symonds has opened an office in York providing civil and structural engineering services for the rail sector. The company hopes to increase the initial 12 staff to 30 within 15 months, and generate turnover of £3·5m.
'As we are successfully bucking the national downturn trend thanks to contracts on major projects such as Crossrail, we are implementing ambitious plans to expand our operations across the country', said director Ian Roberts. The office will initially focus on rail, before expanding into wider civil and structural engineering, property, landscape, urban design, and project management services.
Capita Symonds now has 4 500 staff in more than 60 offices in the UK and other countries.
Categories: Prototype News
Capita Symonds opens York rail office
News from Railway Gazette International - Mon, 08/30/2010 - 21:00
UK: Capita Symonds has opened an office in York providing civil and structural engineering services for the rail sector. The company hopes to increase the initial 12 staff to 30 within 15 months, and generate turnover of £3·5m.
'As we are successfully bucking the national downturn trend thanks to contracts on major projects such as Crossrail, we are implementing ambitious plans to expand our operations across the country', said director Ian Roberts. The office will initially focus on rail, before expanding into wider civil and structural engineering, property, landscape, urban design, and project management services.
Capita Symonds now has 4 500 staff in more than 60 offices in the UK and other countries.
Categories: Prototype News
UGANDA SIGNS BRANCHLINES INTO DEAL
News from Railways Africa - Mon, 08/30/2010 - 10:58
On 25 August, Ugandan finance minister Syda Bbumba signed a revised agreement on the Kenya-Uganda railway concession, the Daily Monitor reports:
“The agreement ends a bitter continental fight over the network, which pitted Ugandan and Kenyan businessmen jostling with Egyptian investors to replace the South African firm that originally won the 25-year concession over the
railway line. ‘This has been a prolonged process and any delays have been caused by the need to have a consultative process within government as well as with our counterparts in the Kenyan government,’ Jim Mugunga, spokesman for the
privatisation unit in the finance ministry told Daily Monitor yesterday [25 August].
“Kenyan transport minister Amos Kimunya signed on behalf of the Kenyan government to bring closure to the process. The signing of the concession amendment agreement is set to unlock more than Shs300 billion ($US150million) in planned investment into the railway network which is badly in need of new investment and repairs.
“The signing also officially recognises Citadel Capital, the Egyptian private equity firm as 51% owner of Rift Valley Railways (RVR), the company that owns the concession over the railway. The other shareholders are Kenya’s TransCentury private equity firm with 34% while businessman Charles Mbiire owns a 15% stake set aside for Ugandan investors.
“Citadel had earlier pulled out of signing the agreement after the Tororo-Packwach and Busoga loop had been kept out of the railway concession but sources told this newspaper that the two segments of the railway, which are seen as key components of future growth for the rail network, were included in the final concession agreement.
“The revised agreement also introduces a more stringent agreement to monitor the concession and eliminate delays and also mandates the shareholders of RVR to bring in a company with technical expertise to help run the railway
network. Sources familiar with the deal say a South American railway operator has already been identified as the technical partner, pending due-diligence by the two governments.”
Years of political upheaval, economic decline and the ending of copper mining led to a fall-off in the rail business and the two branchlines soon fell into disrepair. They have been out of use for years.
RVR will now control 2,352km, nearly double the original network of 1,200km in the initial November 2006 contract. The two main international financial institutions supporting the concession, the International Financial Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank and KfW of Germany, have thrown their weight behind the new agreement, in terms of which Citadel Capital will steer RVR over the next 21 years.
Details of the agreement remain scanty but it is understood that Uganda has allowed the private operators to rehabilitate the sections of the network for a period of two years, with possibility for extension if certain conditions are met.
Plans are also under way to extend the line some 200km between Kasese and the Hoima district, where Uganda plans to build a 50,000 tonnes capacity refinery to process its new oil finds.
Uganda struck commercial hydrocarbon deposits in western Uganda in 2006 and reserves are estimated at 2 billion barrels. Analysts say the country will have to construct a pipeline or use rail to ship the petroleum from the remote region.
Categories: Prototype News
TUNISIAN HIGH-SPEED LINE
News from Railways Africa - Mon, 08/30/2010 - 10:57
Tunisia is planning to invest $US5.5 billion over the next decade in the development of a high-speed rail link with Morocco, Algeria and Libya. Despite having a rail network covering more than 2,100km, operational efficiency is hampered by gauge differences and limited electrification.
Less than 10% of the country’s freight is carried on rail, a situation that could change radically if the envisaged “Trans-Maghreb” high-speed railway is built to link Casablanca with Tripoli in Libya, via Algiers and Tunisia. The project would see Tunisia build 780km of high-speed track, as well as related support infrastructure.
However, at a summit meeting hosted by Tunisia’s transport ministry to discuss the “Trans-Maghreb” – which brought together the country’s shippers union and representatives of state railway utilities in Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia – no time-frame was drawn up for construction.
Categories: Prototype News
CHINA-SOUTH AFRICA RAIL AGREEMENT
News from Railways Africa - Mon, 08/30/2010 - 10:56
From SA government information service Buanews:
“Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele today [25 August 2010] signed a ground-breaking agreement on railways and other transport-related matters with Chinese Railway Minister Liu Zhijun. Ndebele is part of a South African delegation in China led by President Jacob Zuma during his three-day state visit.
“He said through rail, South Africa could move from being a developing country to a developed country by transporting people and goods efficiently, effectively and with the least cost to the environment and economy. ‘We are confident that our friends in the world including the Chinese can help us leapfrog many stages on our journey to becoming a developed country,’ he said.
“Zhijun said his country was willing to share its expertise in the development of railway networks. ‘We are willing to share this expertise with South Africa. We operate 86,000km of railway track, 7,000km of high-speed rail, and we have 13,000km of high-speed projects under construction. We operate the largest network of high-speed rail in the world. The Shanghai to Beijing railway line is the largest in the world, but in addition we are specialists in the development of highland rail, high-speed rail, upgrading of networks and their maintenance,’ he said.
“The agreement recognises the need to find new approaches for consolidating, expanding and deepening the rapid developments in the transport sector. It takes into consideration the framework of the New Partnership for
Africa’s Development (Nepad) and the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (Focac). It seeks to promote investments, industry, trade and co-operation between South Africa and China in the area of rail.
“The railways agreement will foster close co-operation in rail infrastructure maintenance and development, financing, network safety and regulation, technology transfer, harmonisation of technical standards and human resource
development. The agreement includes identifying research institutions and private organisations such as universities and private companies that have the technical and financial capacity to implement the specific projects in the transport sector.
“The two countries agreed that there will be an exchange of engineers and related professionals and broad cooperation in the areas of intelligent transport systems, environmentally sustainable and labour-intensive best practices.”
Categories: Prototype News
EAST AFRICAN STD GAUGE PROJECT
News from Railways Africa - Mon, 08/30/2010 - 10:55
According to press reports, “it is now emerging that the logistics needed for the planned East African standard gauge railway network will pose enormous challenges. These are however outweighed by the opportunities.”
All five members of the East African Community have agreed in principle to build the lines in their territories. Construction of the regional railway standard gauge network is to begin in Kenya in February 2012 but it is not expected that the project will be complete in the entire region until 2050.
Work is to proceed in four phases. The first will be the Mombasa-Malaba-Kampala line. An extension westwards will follow, to Kigali in Rwanda and Bujumbura in Burundi. Another new line is to run north-westwards from a planned new port at Lamu to Lokichogio, eventually reaching Juba; and there is to be a “high-capacity”, standard gauge line from Nairobi to Moyale for onward connection to Addis Abeba in Ethiopia. The projects form part of Kenya’s “Vision 2030” plans.
Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) managing director Duva Muli points out that the cost of transport in the region is very high compared with world benchmarks – “hence the need for the regional standard gauge railway.” Transport for goods and services in the region is “as high as” 45% of total costs, compared with less than 15% in countries with good railway systems. “Uneconomic and unreliable interurban passenger transport has also led to congestion in cities, while the shift from rail to roads has resulted in high costs of road maintenance.”
“If business in the region continues to grow,” Muli is quoted saying, Mombasa port will have to process at least 30 million tonnes a year. And if the railway network remains the same, then a [road] truck will have to leave the port every minute of every day, putting major strains on road infrastructure. It could lock out most transit goods”.
The existing metre gauge railway, Muli says, faces challenges of obsolescence, limited capacity in tonnage and speed. As a result, the railway accounts for less than 4% of freight haulage to and from the port.
The proposed Lamu port –with a natural deep harbour and a connecting railway network — will have the potential to create a “land bridge across Africa”. KRC envisages a Lamu to Douala (in Sénégal) railway that would take four-and-a-half days. The voyage by sea takes 25 days.
Following the concessioning of Kenya Railways’ operations to Rift Valley Railways (RVR), KRC was turned into an asset authority to manage non-conceded assets.
However, the infrastructure RVR is using still belongs to Kenya Railways. KRC is now mainly concerned with safety issues, performance, the environment and passenger tariffs. The present Kenya-Uganda Railway was built on the route “of least resistance” because of lack of machinery and technology to build bridges, and it “meanders around difficult terrain. However, trains on the planned standard gauge line from Mombasa to Kampala will bypass Nairobi, running through Konza, behind the Ngong Hills, Maimahiu and Naivasha.
Categories: Prototype News
GAUTRAIN CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS
News from Railways Africa - Mon, 08/30/2010 - 10:54
Gautrain’s Sandton-airport branch has been fully operational since 8 June 2010. The stations at OR Tambo International, Marlboro and Rhodesfield are complete and operational. Feeder bus services are running to connect with trains at Sandton, Marlboro and Rhodesfield stations. Four-coach trains running until 20:30 comprise – for airport travellers – two “airport” cars whose doors open only at the two endpoints, and – for ordinary commuters – two whose doors open at all stations except the airport.
The operations control centre, together with the train and bus depot facilities located just south of Allandale Road in the Midrand area, were also completed as part of the first phase of the complete project.
Categories: Prototype News
MCLI AT MAPUTO STATION (100 THIS YEAR)
News from Railways Africa - Mon, 08/30/2010 - 10:52
At the end of September, the Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative (MCLI) is hosting its annual general meeting and open network event at the Maputo railway station which celebrates its centenary this year. Some 400-600 stakeholders in the shipping, freight, freight clearing and forwarding, services sector, logistics, transport, port
operations, cargo owners, financial institutions, industry associations, government, intermodal operators, multipurpose agents, road and rail operators, shipping lines, terminal operators and trade associations are expected to participate.
To book exhibition/sponsorship space:
barbara.mommen@mcli.co.za
To register:
http://www.mcli.co.za/mcliweb/events/2010/29sep2010/registration/registration.html
[The historic Maputo station was designed by Gustav Eiffel, the same man who was responsible for the famous Tower in Paris. – editor
Categories: Prototype News
OUTENIQUA CHOO-TJOE TERMINATING
News from Railways Africa - Mon, 08/30/2010 - 10:51
From the SA Tourism Update news briefs, 26 August:
“Transnet Limited has announced that the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe train service operating between George and Mossel Bay will be terminated. Transnet said that it identified the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe service as one of its non-core assets in 2007. Following extensive studies and stakeholder consultation, the company decided to follow an open tender process to find a new operator for the service.
“Unfortunately, this process could not identify a new operator and as a result, Transnet was left with no option other than to terminate the service subject to the required approval by the Minister of Public Enterprises in terms on the Public Finance Management Act – this has since been finalised.
“The Outeniqua Transport Museum in George will remain open to the public.
“The George-to-Mossel Bay Line, on which the Choo-Tjoe service is currently operated, is part of the Southern Cape cluster of branch lines that have been identified to be concessioned to a private operator. This concessioning process is being undertaken by Transnet through an open, competitive process. Further announcements on branch line concessioning will follow in due course.
“Transnet and the MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape, have been in discussions regarding the George-to-Knysna railway line, which was severely damaged in 2006 by floods. The intention was to ensure that tourism and other opportunities are unlocked on this line through the facilitation of the provincial government. Further details of this process will be announced in due course.
“Commenting on the announcement, Western Cape MEC for finance, economic development and tourism Alan Winde said that despite Transnet’s announcement he remains resolute in his commitment to reviving the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe service and ensuring that it remains a vital part of the South Cape’s heritage and tourism offering.
“Winde continued to say that Transnet’s decision comes after an open tender process did not yield any positive applicants to take over its operations, which they state have become financially unviable. However, Winde said he is ‘eagerly’ awaiting the final outcome negotiations with Transnet to take over the George to Knysna line. He concluded by saying that he will also keep a close eye on further developments regarding the privatisation process of other branch-lines.”
Categories: Prototype News
EAST AFRICA NEEDS $25 BILLION
News from Railways Africa - Mon, 08/30/2010 - 10:50
East Africa needs to raise up to $US25 billion, or nearly two-thirds of Kenya’s annual output, over the next decade to upgrade its railways in order to boost trade, Reuters reports, quoting the East African Community’s (EAC) deputy secretary-general for infrastructure and planning Alloys Mutabingwa:
“We are talking about the railway master plan which is expected to consume between $20 and $25 billion,” he said, adding that work on upgrading existing railways and build new lines is likely to start in 2013. New rail links are to be constructed between inland countries and the ports of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania and Kenya’s Mombasa. The African Development Bank is the lead financial advisor to the railway project and the EAC is exploring all options to raise the necessary capital, Mutabingwa said: “We are looking at equity, raising capital on the debt markets, all these options will be explored”.
The EAC launched a common market in July, opening the borders of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi with a combined GDP of $75 billion, although poor roads and railways remain an impediment to greater trade, Reuters points out.
Categories: Prototype News
HOLIDAY PLANS DERAILED
News from Railways Africa - Mon, 08/30/2010 - 10:50
Cape Argus 22 August 2010:
By Warda Meyer – “A Newlands couple’s dream train trip to Johannesburg and the Kruger National Park has been derailed following a decision to temporarily discontinue the long-distance passenger train service. And a couple from Cornwall planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Cape Town also had their plans upset.
“Tim and Pam Patten of Newlands booked their trip to Johannesburg in June. ‘We were just about ready to pack our bags when the Shosholoza Meyl’s train service was suspended. We had to read about the developments in the
newspapers. It is all just too ridiculous,’ Tim Patten said.
“They are among the many who had been left in the lurch by the deadlock between Transnet and Prasa. The Pattens said they began planning their holiday in February and decided to take a train trip to rekindle the fond memories they’d shared on the Trans-Karoo trains in the 1970s. ‘We haven’t been on a train for 30 years and we were looking forward to the trip down memory lane, to a time when I was still working as a political reporter covering Parliament.’
“Because the N1 was such an unpleasant highway, with all its taxis and long-distance trucks, they decided to rail their car to Johannesburg and drive on to Mpumalanga from there. ‘The entire trip set us back about R10,000 which included the shipping of our car, a sleeper compartment, and a return trip on the Premier class train. We booked early especially for the Premier Class and things were all hunky-dory, until we opened the newspaper.’
“Patten added that they were pleasantly surprised at the helpful service they received from Prasa and after the cancellation drama, Prasa staff were apologetic.”
“The Transnet and Prasa dispute has also affected foreign visitors and their holiday plans. Thora Angell from Cornwall in England has also been disappointed by the confusion. Born in South Africa but resident in the UK for the past 50 years, she and her Cornish husband are planning a visit to South Africa. She found information about the Shosholoza Meyl Premier Class train on the internet. ‘I clicked on the Premier Class train section and an update note appeared stating that due to the shambles affecting the Shosholoza Meyl trains, including the Premier Class train run by Prasa, all trains would be cancelled till further notice. How disappointing for me and my family. We have now had to book a hired car to get down to Cape Town, which is a long drive for pensioners. I don’t know the reason for the shambles but I do hope that Prasa has the trains back on schedule soon.’”
Categories: Prototype News