TRANSNET has concluded the evaluation of applications received for the sale of slots on the Container and Cape Corridor that was advertised on April 1, 2022 and closed on August 31, 2022, Transnet Freight Rail said in a statement issued on November 23.
The media statement continues, in finalising the slot sales process, as communicated to all interested and qualifying parties, there are governance activities underway including the recommendation and final approval of the evaluation outcome for both the Container Corridor (Gauteng to Durban) and the Cape Corridor (Gauteng to East London). Once the final approval of the outcome has been granted, it will be communicated accordingly.
This follows Transnet’s open market process where interested and qualifying parties were invited to apply for an initial 16 slots.
The system will operate by means of temporary occupation of sections of the network to enable end-to-end passage of a train, with Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) retaining ownership of the network.
The sale of these slots to third-party operators expands the access that Transnet already grants to Prasa, approved branch line operators, the luxury hospitality services provided by Rovos Rail and the Blue Train and steam train operators to the rail network.
In terms of this phase of the project, third-party slot access will be valid for a two-year period with a contracting period of four months in terms of which the parties will enter into a third party access agreement for the period.
This first phase will also provide key insights as inputs to the development of a robust policy implementation framework, the media statement concludes.
The Container Corridor links the Port of Durban to Gauteng through an extensive network of roughly 714 km. The railway connection between Transnet’s container terminals in the Port of Durban and Transnet’s inland terminal in City Deep, Kascon, Pretcon, Kaalfontein and several accredited private sidings in Gauteng, are crucial to expanding the custom bonded facilities network beyond the port. |This is critical to supply chain efficiencies and reducing congestion in the Port of Durban.
The South Corridor is part of the Cape Corridor, and provides a strategic route between Gauteng and the ports of East London and indirectly, Port Elizabeth, that can be customised and configured to suit the unique requirements of the rapidly expanding agricultural and automotive sectors.
