Image: Nieuws24
Transnet is struggling to use 700 locomotives from its current stock due to a lack of spare parts and maintenance.
Bonginkosi Mabaso, chief commercial officer of Transnet Freight Rail, revealed in an interview with Newzroom Africa that the main challenge is the lack of spare parts and the inability to maintain Transnet’s fleet of locomotives.
Mabaso said the state-owned company had about 2,200 locomotives at its disposal in 2019. This number fell to 1,500 by 2022, representing a loss of 700 locomotives or nearly a third of total capacity. This has direct consequences for the amount of cargo the company can transport. The company transported 220 million tons of cargo that year and was only able to move 179 million tons last fiscal year.
Mabaso said the company is having a hard time getting Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to supply spare parts and maintain locomotives.
China’s state-owned company CRRC hasn’t really helped, with the company pulling out of South Africa entirely over tax issues. It designed and manufactured many of Transnet’s modern locomotives, for which the utility is now unable to find and maintain spare parts. These locomotives alone account for 300 of the 700 withdrawn from service.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan traveled to China in April to discuss a standoff that has blocked the supply of locomotives and spare parts from CRRC. He said CRRC did not meet the requirements of the South African Reserve Bank and the South African Revenue Service.
Transnet said the main requirement for CRRC to continue doing business in South Africa is to normalize its relationship with key regulatory authorities. “So far, the Chinese manufacturer has refused to do so.” – he said.
Before this happened, Transnet’s relations with CRRC were tense as the South African company tried to cancel a R54 billion deal to buy a whopping 1,064 locomotives from the Chinese company and two other suppliers. CRRC hit back by withholding spare parts, forcing Transnet to withdraw locomotives from service.
Mabaso said Transnet is also fighting against systemic under-investment in South Africa’s rail infrastructure, along with cable theft, sabotage and vandalism.
Transnet cannot use 700 locomotives
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