Railways Africa Issue 6 2013

You do not have to be the biggest to be THE BEST...

Tel: +27 (041) 581 4400 Fax: +27 (041) 581 4474 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sheltam.com127 Villiers Rd Walmer 6070 PO Box 15148 Emerald Hill 6011 Port Elizabeth South Africa

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It’s never easy catching up with a backlog. That faced by South Africa’s railways, one decade into the new century, was colossal. The inevitable consequences of minimal investment in nearly twenty years were becoming agonisingly apparent. Ageing equipment, increasingly prone to breakdown, was most obvious in commuter rail, where shortcomings directly affect the daily lives of thousands. Seemingly endless service delays with no sign of improvement drives people to do desperate things. It’s easy for us to deplore trains being burned. Those who only want to get home at the end of a long day and are repeatedly prevented from doing so - well, try imagining what it must be like.

Less visible was the effect on staff morale. There can be few less inspiring occupations than the receiving end of a daily barrage of complaints. Clearly it has taken tremendous determination to turn the situation around. In the light of this, the achievements to date are remarkable. Inaugurating the new R1.3 billion Bridge City station at

KwaMashu, 17km north of Durban (the largest current rail infrastructure project in the area), President Jacob Zuma said government had invested over R40 billion in the transport sector over the preceding four years. During this time, he explained, “We have bought more than 6,984 new train coaches or wagons and more than 338 locomotives”. Much of this equipment, he pointed out, is being manufactured in South Africa, creating jobs and expanding industrial capacity. A further R50 billion is to be spent on passenger rail infrastructure and services over the coming few years.

It’s great news. If October was Transport Month; well, 2014 looks like being Transport Year. See you then!

You do not have to be the biggest to be THE BEST...

Tel: +27 (041) 581 4400 Fax: +27 (041) 581 4474 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sheltam.com127 Villiers Rd Walmer 6070 PO Box 15148 Emerald Hill 6011 Port Elizabeth South Africa

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Photo: Jacque Wepener.Transnet Engineering makes inroads into the African rolling stock market.

RAILWAYS AFRICA / FOREWORD

Foreword

The copyright on all material in this magazine is expressly reserved and vested in Rail Link Communications cc, unless otherwise stated. No material may be reproduced in any form, in part or in whole, without the permission of the publishers. Please note that the opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers of Rail Link Communications cc unless otherwise stated. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, neither the Editor, Publisher or Contributor can be held liable for any inaccuracies or damages that may arise.

3Issue 6 // 2013 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com

BARBARA SHEATPublisher / Railways Africa

PUBLISHERBarbara Sheat

EDITOR Rollo Dickson

DESIGN & LAYOUTGrazia Muto

WEBSITEKieran Druzynski

ADVERTISINGBarbara Sheat

SUBSCRIPTIONS Barbara Sheat

CONTRIBUTORSAndrew Lanham Anton van SchalkwykBruno MartinCharles BakerJacque WepenerJohn BatwellPierre de WetShaun LoureiroStanislav KolenicStewart Currie

ISSN 1029 - 2756

Rail Link Communications ccPO Box 4794 Randburg 2125Tel: +27 72 340 5621E-mail: [email protected]: @railwaysafricaWebsite: www.railwaysafrica.com

Contents

RUBBER SOLUTIONS fOR AfRICA Rubber components, key performance enhancers 6

AUTOmATIC TRAIN PROTECTION SYSTEmS Ensures safe operation 8

Features 6

8

4 Railways Africa Issue 6 // 2013 www.railwaysafrica.com

TEGA INDUSTRIES LTD.Rubber Solutionsfor Africa

6

12Angola, New Stations Inaugurated 12

Egypt Thinking Towards High-Speed Rail 13

Kenya Rail Losing Out To Road 14

World Bank Loan to Assist Lagos Light Rail 15

Reviving Tanzania’s Arusha Line 16

West African High-Speed Rail 18

Africa Update

Class 20E Locos Arrive 20

Transnet R50BN Bond Issue 21

President Inaugurates New Car Carriers 22

Blue Train is Best in Africa 24

SA Rail News

Summer Trains 34

End of the Line

Book ReviewMechanisation of Track Maintenance 32

GE SkILLS DEVELOPmENTGE’s Input Boosts SA as Continental Rail Hub 33

Pendolino Pong 29

Buttskop Crossing In The News Again 30

12 Year-Old Passenger Killed by Stone 31

Mishaps & Blunders

20

29

32


durability properties – can be used. The burden of safety on such a large vehicle carrying passengers and high value commodities is also a top priority.

Tried and Tested“Tega Industries products are not only manufactured to meet these requirements, but are tested and certified by relevant railway and standards authorities for quality and safety. In order to meet their strict requirements, products must undergo exhaustive testing until they are completely satisfied with our quality management systems.

“Our ability to design and manufacture custom-made rubber and combination material products is as a result of our global expertise that enables polymer scientists and engineers from around the world to interface with our local experts to find solutions that meet African requirements. As a result, our team of engineering experts

Made in AfricaAlready many of the company’s locally designed and manufactured rubber components are optimising railway operations throughout Africa, as operators find ways of extending the lifespan of equipment and ensuring optimum availability of rolling stock.

Through specialist input from Tega Industries, the operators are seeking new techniques and compounds to extend the periods between scheduled maintenance programmes and also to find ways of protecting equipment from impact and abrasion, as well as finding new sound dampening and vibration control techniques.

Suzette Botha of Tega Industries South Africa, explains that due to the sheer size and weight of trains for commuter and commercial applications, the wear and tear on components can be very high. Only the highest quality materials - with the correct strength and

With uses ranging from sound dampening and vibration control, to hoses,

bellows and other mission-critical components on locomotives and carriages,

the use of rubber is vital to the functioning of our railways.

But, not all rubber is created equal and rail operators, such as Transnet

in South Africa, have strict controls in place to ensure that only suitable

rubber products can be used. Engineered rubber component specialists Tega

Industries South Africa, is fully certified by the operator and is working

closely with several role-players in the industry to design and manufacture

solutions for a wide array of wear and shock absorption related issues.

Carefully engineered rubber components are key to enhancing the performance and safety of trains, as well as making travelling by rail more comfortable for passengers.

Tega Industries South Africa Business Development and Marketing Manager, Vishal Gautam.


TEGA INDUSTRIES

RUBBER SoLUTioNS FoR AFRiCA

are ready to assist anywhere on the continent, wherever railway lines and rolling stock are being expanded or maintained to meet future requirements,” Suzette says.

She adds that a wide variety of products are purchased for use by railways including vestibule diaphragms, bumper bolsters, gaskets, anchor bolts, railway springs, draw-gear rubbers, joint rings, hosing, pipes, rubber manhole covers, hotbox sensor covers, mini gummies and a wide variety of custom-made products.

About Tega industriesTega Industries’ global network expands throughout the four corners of the globe with its headquarters based in India; and manufacturing facilities in the Americas, Australia, South Africa and India.

In order to maintain its position as a world leader in the supply of engineered rubber solutions, the company invests heavily in developing and recruiting engineers and technical experts that enable it to supply total solutions to customers including equipment optimisation that is tailored to the exact requirement of each customer.

Local product specialists are also able to design and develop products for all African conditions taking into account climate and other factors, as well as durability and servicing requirements. Where required they can also call upon a vast pool of technical expertise within the group in order to formulate solutions that meet the most challenging technical requirements.

Stock HoldingAccording to Tega Industries South Africa Business Development and Marketing Manager, Vishal Gautam, another critical factor in supplying railways is the availability of parts. Spares and replacement parts need to be available at short notice to support the high productivity requirements placed on each train set.

To meet growing demands, Tega Industries recently relocated to modern facilities in Brakpan. With nearly 50 000m2 of space under

roof, the company is able to manufacture and maintain suitable stock holding of products on behalf of its customers and make them ready for shipping wherever they are required, whenever they are required.

In addition, improved machine capacity at the new plant ensures faster turnarounds and enables the company to prepare custom parts in a fraction of the time usually taken to manufacture specialised items. The increased output of the plant also enables the company to concentrate its efforts on supplying solutions to all railway operators throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

“We encourage operators and suppliers to the railway industry to contact us to formulate solutions to their unique challenges,” concludes Vishal.

“ Our ability to design and

manufacture custom-made

rubber and combination

material products is as a result

of our global expertise.”

TEGA INDUSTRIES SOUTh AFRICAVishal GautamTel: (011) 421 9916Fax: (011) 421 9920Email: [email protected]: www.tegaindustries.co.za


TEGA INDUSTRIES

IntroductionThis article describes an example of inductive train protection, one of the most used and proven systems up to the present.

In principle, the Inductive automatic train protection system (ATPS) is based on contactless, magnetically transmitted data between magnets (balises) mounted on the vehicle and on the track, as shown in Figure 1. Introduced in Germany over 80 years ago, this technology is often referred to as an INDUSI system (from the German “INDUktive zugSIcherung”). It is used on over 75,000km of railway routes in central European countries, as well as in Canada, Israel, Turkey, India, the UK and the USA.

This technology provides a solution which, though relatively low in cost, is very effective in preventing accidents, both on freight lines and those carrying passengers (including light rail and subways), for speeds up to and inclusive of 160km/h. The ease of implementation on existing rolling stock and track infrastructure, coupled with low maintenance, are additional compelling features.

Principle of Operation of The Inductive Type of ATPSATPS consists of magnetic equipment (balises), mounted at the track side and on board rail vehicles. The status of light signals (or older mechanical versions) at the side of the line is transferred via

vehicle-mounted magnets/balises to an on-board electronic ATPS central unit (CU). Based on the information received, including data such as train speed and driver awareness/response, the CU will activate emergency braking in situations where this becomes necessary. For example, the ATPS will automatically apply braking if the driver responds incorrectly, if he does not halt at a stop signal or red light, disregards speed limits and warnings or fails to respond in any other way prescribed by regulation.

ALTPRO AUTOmATIC TRAIN PROTECTION SYSTEm RAS 8385 (ATPS RAS 8385)This is a modern and advanced inductive, intermittent (non-continuous) ATPS, often referred to as the PZB system (from the German ”Punktformige ZugBeinflussung”). At defined points on the route, it calculates a braking curve to determine whether the train will be able to stop before a red signal ahead. If it deems this will not be possible, it activates the brakes. This system is suitable for trains operating up to and inclusive of 160km/h.

Automatic train protection systems (ATPS) are a compulsory installation in some countries, whose specific requirements determine the degree of technological sophistication used. Not infrequently, the absence of ATPS on one or other line only comes into question after a serious accident. The recent horrific derailment in Spain is a case in point.

Figure 1: Demonstration of the inductive principle.

Figure 2: Trackside installation.


AUTOMATIC TRAIN PROTECTION

AUToMATiC TRAiN PRoTECTioN SYSTEMS (ATPS)

An automatic train protection system is a railway technical installation that ensures safe operation in the event of human failure.

By Mia Viduka and Darko Barisic

On-board Vehicle Installation

Main on-board vehicle equipment contains:

– ATPS RAS 8385 central unit enclosed in a robust aluminium alloy AlSi12, that includes analogue and digital components (sensors, actuators, logic devices, frequency generators)

– Vehicle magnet/balise type LLC 0512 – one on each side of driver’s cabs (A&B) with resonant frequencies of 500, 1,000 and 2,000Hz.

The ATPS AS 8385 central unit is connected to:

– the pneumatic system through which it activates the brakes and stops the train.

– the event/incident recorder so that all actions and signals are saved for future analysis and evaluation in the event of any kind of accident.

– deadman control system for checking driver awareness.– driver’s cabs (A&B).– vehicle magnets/balises (one per cab).

An on-board vehicle magnet (type LLC 0512) continuously radiates three frequency signals - 500, 1,000 and 2,000 Hz. When a vehicle-mounted magnet passes over any of the track magnets (500, 1,000 or 2,000 Hz), inductive coupling causes a current drop in that particular resonant circuit, while the current in the other two resonant circuits remains unchanged. The current drop is sensed by the ATPS central unit (CU) which initiates the appropriate action.

Trackside InstallationAs indicated in Figure 2, the trackside equipment includes a track magnet/balise for 500Hz (type PM 500), as well as track magnets/balises for 1,000Hz and 2,000Hz (type PM 1020). Internal components are protected by cast resin within a robust, waterproof, aluminium housing. These magnets have passive resonant circuits, ie they do not need any power supply. Being direction dependent), they are mounted on the right-hand side of a vehicle. The track magnet may be activated by the existing relay contact at the signal, or the signal may be equipped with an additional, auxiliary relay. A closed relay contact deactivates the track magnet; conversely an open relay contact activates the magnet.

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Figure 3: Main on-board equipment.



immediately enforce an emergency stop. In exceptional cases the driver is allowed to use the override button. In this case a buzzer alarm will sound but the ATPS will not activate an emergency stop. However this sequence of events will be recorded.

Running Mode SelectionBefore any journey commences, the running mode has to be defined/selected. This can be done internally (in the ATPS central unit enclosure) in situations when the driver is not allowed to interfere with vehicle settings. External selection is done by the driver (outside the ATPS central unit enclosure) for example in the driver’s cab. Once the running mode has been set internally, it is not possible to reset the selection externally. Depending on the installed logic module of the RAS 8385 central unit, it is possible to select one of three running modes. If for example the RGG 2001 module is installed, running modes 1, 2 or 3 could be selected. With the RGG 2002 module, running modes E, 1 or 2 could be selected. Table 2 shows typical running mode selections (as in Europe):– E. ICE train– 1. InterCity train– 2. local and regional trains– 3. freight trains

Each running mode has its own braking curve that depends on the permitted vehicle speed and maximum load, as well as the percentage of braking as presented in Figure 5.

Cab Controls and IndicationsIn each driver’s cab there are control/indication component devices as shown in Figure 4.

Blue Indicator Lamps– If running mode 2 has been selected and air pressure of >1.9

bar is present in the pneumatic system, the first blue lamp will illuminate.

– The second blue lamp will illuminate if running mode 3 has been selected and there is air pressure of >1.9 bar in the pneumatic system.

– Both lamps will illuminate if running mode 1 has been selected and there is air pressure of >1.9 bar in the pneumatic system.

Signals and frequencies Three different frequencies can be transferred from the trackside magnets via inductive coupling onto the vehicle magnet. Table 1 replicates the function of each frequency in the overall operation of the ATPS.

1,000Hz Track magnetThe 1,000Hz frequency is used for a distant signal (flashing green or yellow light). After travelling over the 1,000Hz track magnet, the driver is required to press an acknowledge button within four seconds (activating timer A). If the driver does not respond (or does not begin to reduce speed) within four seconds, the ATPS will enforce an emergency stop. At the same time when the 1,000Hz track magnet was detected, another timer (timer B) would have activated. If the driver has pressed the acknowledge button but did not start to reduce speed, timer B would enforce an emergency stop after the preset time had expired. Preset times and speed limits are defined by a selected running mode as indicated in Table 2.

500 Hz Track magnetThe 500Hz frequency is used to control station entry. If the main signal displays stop/red light and the vehicle travels over this magnet, ATPS will compare the speed of the vehicle with the permissible (preset) speed limit. If the speed of the vehicle is over the limit, the ATPS will enforce an emergency stop.

The 2,000Hz Track magnetThe 2,000Hz frequency is used if the main signal displays stop/red light. If the vehicle travels over that magnet, the ATPS will

Figure 4: Block diagram of ATPS – RAS & 385 system.

Table 1: Signals on the track with corresponding track magnet actuation.

Table 2: Values according to running mode selection.

Figure 5: ATPS – RAS & 385 braking curves.



Event/Incident Recorder (“Black Box”)Depending on preference, this digital recorder can be mounted within the RAS central unit casing or it can be in its own robust enclosure. The recorder has two memories, short and long term. Various digital and analogue data such as vehicle speed, air pressure, status of brake unit valves, times of application of brakes etc are memorised. Short-term memory is important for incidents/accidents analysis, while long-term memory assists in the maintenance/service of the vehicle. During operation, the system can be monitored by a compatible personal computer

maintenanceWhile it is possible to read out data and faults recorded by the PC in the ATPS central unit at any time, it is recommended that staff authorised by the operator perform inspections/checks and record them in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines for each device. Three test instruments, each designed for a specific device make these checks/inspections very easy.

In respect of service purposes, a pneumatic installation test frame exists that facilitates checking the functionality of the interface between the ATPS central unit and that of the vehicle pneumatic system.

Yellow Indicator LampThis lamp illuminates when a vehicle travels over the 1,000Hz track magnet and will remain on until the preset time delay lapses. If emergency braking has been enforced (for not obeying speed limit), this light will remain illuminated until the brakes are released.

In cases where emergency braking has been applied, a buzzer alarm will be activated (and will continue to sound for the duration of the emergency stop operation), air will be released from the pneumatic system causing braking/stop.

Loss of air pressure below 1.2 bar will result in the blue lamps switching off (one or both lamps, depending on the running mode). At this time the buzzer will be deactivated.

Six seconds after braking action commences, it is permissible to release the brakes and restart pressurising of the pneumatic system. This is achieved by pressing a release button. This is standard procedure after every enforced emergency braking.

Additional components/devices related to the ATPS in the driver’s cab are the speedometer and control switches for the Deadman system.

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ATPS – RAS & 385 central unit.

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Testing unit PM12.



ANGOLANEW STATioNS iNAUGURATEDOn 18 October, Angolan transport minister Augusto Tomás inaugurated five new stations on Caminhos de ferro de Benguela (CFB) - at Mine, Kango in the municipalities of Catumbela and Hombe, Câbio and Calenguele (Caimbambo) - on the 154km section of line from Lobito. The minister’s delegation travelled by train to the function at Cubal.

On 1 November, Tomás officially Inaugurated ten new stations on Caminhos de ferro de Moçamedes (CFM), six in the southern Huíla Province and four in the south-eastern Kuando Kubango Province. There are now 56 stations along the length of the CFM. Those recently opened include Maquelo, Laceiras, Micose, Cabanas, Kapunda, Kuvango (Huíla), Tombolo, Vembambi, Viungue and Kuelei.

CFM SERViCE FREQUENCiESSpeaking at Matala on 4 November in Angola’s southern Huila province, Caminhos de ferro de Moçamedes (CFM) chief executive Daniel Quipaxe announced the possibility of improved passenger train service frequency between the provinces of Namibe, Huíla and Kuando Kubango (in southern Angola), from early 2014. At the

same time it is intended to commence the movement of export mineral traffic from the Cassinga mines, in Huila province. This area is served by a branch running south from Dongo junction on the main-line.

AfRICA RAIL SUmmITThe first Fleming Gulf “African Railway Summit” was held on 20-21 November 2012 in Johannesburg. Highlights listed on the programme for the second summit (scheduled for 5-6 November 2013 at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel in Sandton) included:

• Micro managing infrastructure planning and financing• Railway concessioning and operation• Energy efficiency• Multimodality• Freight and passenger transport

ZenzaLuanda

Dondo Malanje

LobitoBenguela

Camacupa

Caaia KuitoHuamboCubal

Luena

NamibeLubango Dongo

Menongue

Chiange

Oshikango

Ondangwa

Tsumeb

Chamutete

(Cassinga)

Luau Dilolo

JimbeTo

Chingola

DRC

ATLANTIC

ZAMBIA

BOTSWANA

ANGOLA

NAMIBIA

Km300

A Chinese-built diesel locomotive at Dilolo, the first station in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after the bridge from Angola is crossed. Photos: Anton van Schalkwyk.

The last station on Caminhos de ferro de Benguela (CFB) before the DRC border, Luau makes an impressive picture. Photo: Anton van Schalkwyk.

This CFB bridge marks the Angola-DRC border crossing. Photo: Anton van Schalkwyk.


AfRICA UPDATE

AFRICA UPDATE

EGYPTEGYPT THiNKiNG ToWARDS HiGH-SPEED RAiLThe possibility of introducing high-speed passenger trains between Cairo and Alexandria has been the subject of studies in Egypt for some four years - since 2009. The government is currently thinking in terms of extending the scheme to include Luxor in the Nile valley south of Cairo, as well. This is the country’s tourist centre. The feasibility of selling shares to the public to finance the project is being explored. In the more distant future, another line serving tourist destinations on the Red Sea is seen as worth serious consideration, with the likely cost running to about £E70 billion.

EGYPT’S “STiMULUS PACKAGE” To BENEFiT RAiLThe government of Egypt has raised the value of an economic stimulus package to £E29.6 billion for the financial year to June 2014. The original figure, announced in August, had been £E22.3 billion. The money is to be used building roads, bridges and railways – including an extension to the Cairo metro.

NEW SiGNALLiNG iN EGYPT To increase capacity and reduce the risk of accidents. electric signalling is to replace mechanical installations in Egypt between Banha and Port Said via Zagazig, as well as between Zagazig and Abu Kabeer. The projects are to be funded with a 25-year loan of $US108 million at 2.5%.from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (Kfaed). The deal was signed jointly by the fund’s general director Abdulwahab Al-Bader and Egypt’s deputy prime minister Dr Ziad Bahaa Al-Din. Loans and grant aid provided to Egypt by the fund since 1964 totalling some $2.3 billion to date.

MAiNTENANCE DURiNG EGYPTiAN RAiL SToPPAGE The stoppage of train operations in Egypt during political protests in August and September caused massive financial loss but advantage was taken of the opportunity for concerted maintenance work on stations, rolling stock and crossings. This is according to Egyptian National Railways (ERN) deputy chief Rashad Abdel-Ati, who said the organisation suffered most from the loss of all freight traffic. This he pointed out was not something that began only in August 2013 – goods traffic has been declining since the Mubarak regime. Until 2010-11, the railway had transported 250,000 tonnes of steel per month from the Bahariya Oasis to the Iron and Steel Company near Cairo. However, after the 25 January Revolution, the figure declined to 50,000 tonnes, resulting in the steel factories closing.

SAUDIARABIA

ASWAN DAM

JORDAN

ISR

AE

L

SUDAN

EGYPT

CAIRO

Abu Tarlour

El Kharga

Nag’Hammadi

El Korma

Isna

Aswan

Luxor

Oena

Sadd el Ali

Bur Sataga

Asyut

Beni Suef

El Wasta

SuezEl Shatt

IsmailiaFerdan

RafahPort Said

EL’Alamein

To Tobruk Mersa

Matruh SimilaSalum

Alexandria

El Faiyum

Railway outof use

Helwan

BahariaOasis

AY

BIL

N0 250 km

MEDITERRANEAN

RED SEA

www.railwaysafrica.com

Turning to the rail passenger sector, Abdel-Ati said ENR is clamping down on passengers evading payment for travelling. In addition to teams of inspectors being deployed to check tickets, passengers and luggage will have to pass through electronic gates at stations

EGYPT’S RAiLWAYS – STATE oF EMERGENCYThe Egyptian National Railways authority (ENR) announced a state of emergency on Friday 1 November in anticipation of escalating Muslim Brotherhood protests ahead of ousted former president Morsi’s trial. Security has been increased in trains and on stations. It is estimated that the railway lost some £E4 billion a day during the 10 weeks following the halting of all services from 10 August, during the continuing violence in the country. This figure, ENR’s Nagwa Albert told the press, included lost ticket sales for first-class air-conditioned trains, but not “lower-end trains” as the railway “does not count them as a source of income”. Salaries continued to be paid to the 65,000 employees during the 10-week shutdown, and about £E12 million was spent restoring vandalised infrastructure, notably the station at Assiut. A further £E21 million was lost through the theft of cables and track.

• Egypt’s first railway opened from Alexandria to Kafr Al-Zayat (on the Rosetta branch of the Nile) in 1854.

• It was the first railway in the Ottoman Empire as well as in Africa and the Middle East.

• Cairo was reached In 1856 and Suez in 1858.• Cairo’s main station opened in 1892.• Today Egypt’s railways comprise 5,105km of 1,435mm gauge

track.• Of this, 62km is electrified at 1,500v DC• According to the official website, ERN rolling stock totals some

3,500 passenger coaches, of which 850 are air-conditioned. About 500 million passengers are carried annually, ie around 1.4 million every day.

kENYAKENYA RAiL LoSiNG oUT To RoADAccording to Maina Kamanda, who chairs Kenya’s parliamentary committee on infrastructure, the national railway corporation “needs to address the decline in standards that has seen Nairobi residents shift from rail to using [road-based] public service vehicles.” The committee was reported as “challenging the Kenya Railway Corporation (KRC) to embark on its reform programmes for Kenyans to enjoy the full benefits of a rail system.”

SoUND REASoNS FoR ENDURiNG TRAiNSAccording to contemporary urban legend in Nairobi, the inhabitants of Kibera tolerate the noise of trains passing in close proximity to their homes for a very valid reason. Many structures have only one room, which couples share with their children. Apparently they depend on the trains to drown out other sounds which the children are not supposed to hear.

NAmIBIAWBCG WiNS AT LoGiSTiCS ACHiEVER AWARDSThe Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) picked up a silver award for its “Facilitating trade to and from Southern Africa” initiative, at the 2013 Logistics Achiever Awards gala dinner held at the MonteCasino Ballroom in Johannesburg, South Africa. This year marked the 25th year of the Logistics Achiever Awards, aimed at recognising and rewarding logistics and supply chain excellence in Southern Africa in the effective application of strategic, tactical and operational logistics. WBCG CEO J M Smith commented: “We are elated that our efforts in facilitating cross-border trade aimed at reducing the costs of doing business for our SADC trading partners by offering an alternative trade route, through the port of Walvis Bay, has been recognised with this award. “

Amongst the highlights achieved in terms of facilitating trade is the development of a strong private-public partnership in the transport and logistics sector in Namibia; the WBCG led the establishment of the Trans-Kalahari Corridor Management Committee which is a partnership forum between Botswana, Namibia and South Africa; the establishment of a Trans-Caprivi Corridor Cluster between Namibia and Zambia in 2005 where both the private and public sector worked together to remove non-tariff barriers to trade along this route; the Trans-Caprivi Corridor Cluster evolved in March 2010 into the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor Committee which is a PPP among DRC, Namibia and Zambia and serves as a forum to address bottlenecks along this route from Walvis Bay via Ndola in Zambia up to the Katanga Province in the DRC; promoting safe corridors and transport security under the Safe Trade and Transport Corridor Programme aimed at improving road safety and transport security along the Walvis Bay Corridors. The WBCG was appointed by Namibia’s ministry of works and transport to facilitate the development of a national transport master plan, and was mandated to develop a framework and proposed implementation of the logistics hub development as prioritised in the strategic plan for Namibia.

mOZAmBIQUE

NIGERCoNNECTiNG NiGER To CÔTE D’iVoiRE According to the Guardian Global Development Network (based in London) “a seven-year initiative to connect Niger and Ivory Coast” is to commence in 2014. The existing metre-gauge railway from Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire connects the country to Ouagadougou in neighbouring Burkina Faso. This is to be extended eastwards across the border into Niger, terminating at the capital, Niamey. Niger currently has no railway. The existing line has been managed since 1995 by Sitarail, in terms of a concession. It seems likely that Sitarail would be asked to run the new extension, too.

– On 3 August, Nigerian Vice-President Namadi Sambo announced that the existing (1,0676mm gauge) branch line from Zaria to Kaura-Namoda (in the north-west of Nigeria) is to be extended across the border into Niger, continuing to Niamey.

Former South African class 33 diesel-electric locomotives overhauled by Transnet Engineering, re-liveried and labelled for use on Mozambique’s Northern Line. Photos by Jacque Wepener at Bloemfontein in mid-November,


AFRICA UPDATE

– Recently a team of consultants assembled by HammcoBTB Engineering International Inc of Canada reported on a scheme to connect Nigeria to Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d’ Ivoire with a 1,435mm gauge, 1,000km “fast railway” at a cost estimated in the region of $US3.1 million.

NIGERIANiGERiAN CABLE CAR PRoJECT On 7 October, Lagos state governor Babatunde Fashola announced the commencement of a project to link Apapa and Falomo via Lagos Island by cable car. He said that the necessary viability study is in progress and that tests are being carried out. Speaking at an event marking the 2013 World Habitat Day, he explained that cable car transport - “a veritable means of fast and unhindered transportation” - is “in line with global practices”.

WoRLD BANK LoAN To ASSiST LAGoS LiGHT RAiL

In a letter to the Nigerian Senate dated 22 October, President Goodluck Jonathan explained the $US600 million loan facility being extended by the World Bank to the Lagos state government in tranches of $200 million. The first (approved in the 2010 borrowing plan by the National Assembly) is earmarked for assisting in the funding of several projects, including construction of the new 27km “Blue Line” light railway along the Lagos Badagry Expressway to Marina.

The governor was represented by Commissioner for Transportation Kayode Opeifa, who stressed that the system is vital if Lagos is to achieve “mega-city status”. He was quoted saying: “the present administration is committed to activating every means of transportation in Lagos in order to reduce numbers of vehicles on the road, which translates to unhealthy volumes of carbon emissions.”

LRT PRoGRESS iN LAGoSLagos state governor Babatunde Fashola, speaking at an event marking the 2013 World Habitat Day, said the new Blue and Red Lines are to be commissioned shortly, carrying an expected 1.6 million Lagos people every day. By the end of 2014, he explained, the Blue Line will be providing transport from Mile 2 to Marina, a journey of about 13.5km. Fashola was quoted saying: “To grow the economy of our dear city of Lagos into one of the model mega cities in Africa, embracing the best practices in the transportation/urban mobility cannot be overlooked.”

MULTi-MoDAL PUBLiC TRANSPoRT iN LAGoSSpeaking at an event marking the 2013 World Habitat Day, Lagos commissioner for physical planning Olutoyin Ayinde explained that the theme of the day was not determined by his ministry but by the United Nations. He was quoted saying: “the state government is leaving no stone unturned in implementing intermodal transport. ”Water transport, he pointed out, is moving about two million people every day in Lagos. Once the Blue and Red Line rail projects are completed, he said, “Lagos state will be the third in the African continent to achieve urban mobility”.

[An intriguing observation. Which would be the first and second? Johannesburg, which complains endlessly about its poor public transport? Or Cape Town, which says its public transport core is the railway, but laments the obsolete rolling stock that frequently breaks down? – Editor, Railways Africa.]

RWANDANEW RAiLWAY FRoM RWANDA To UGANDAThe 200km of entirely new railway to link Rwanda with Uganda is going to cost about $US1.5 billion. Where this is to be sourced remains unclear: the government is said to be “still lining up the financing”. The project seems unlikely to receive support from Britain, whose Department for International Development (DfID) recently withdrew aid to the Rwandan government, apparently after allegations that the country was supporting M23 rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Since Rwanda has no railway, its imports as well as export mineral and agricultural traffic – notably coffee and tea – depend currently on road haulage over indifferent roads. It is hoped to run passenger trains too, though the necessary operating subsidy would place a continuing burden on state resources. In Uganda the line will meet the new railway being constructed from there through Kenya to Mombasa. This will provide Rwanda’s capital Kigali with a direct rail connection – 2,935km in length - on 1,435mm gauge to the sea. Funding has been secured from China for the $3.7bn Mombasa-Nairobi section, with construction reportedly due to begin in November. The existing metre gauge line from the Ugandan capital Kampala to Mombasa continues in use, the operation concessioned to Rift Valley Railways. Intentions for the future of this line have not been divulged. See map on page 19.

TAZARATAZARA CLiNCHES MAiZE CoNTRACTThe Tanzania National Food Reserve Authority (NFRA) has contracted the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) to transport 20,000 tonnes of maize and fertiliser to Tanzania and Malawi.

Tazara is to transport 10,000 tonnes of maize from Mbeya to Dar es Salaam and another 10,000 tonnes of fertiliser from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya, for onward conveyance by road to Malawi. According to

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Tazara deputy managing director Saidi Sauko, discussions are in progress with the Zambian government, aimed at moving more than 25,000 tonnes of fertiliser from Dar es Salaam to various points along the Tazara line on the Zambian side of the border.

GE IN AfRICAGE locomotives have been leaders in the field in South Africa for many years. In partnership with Transnet Engineering, impressive numbers of GE units are currently in production at Koedoespoort near Pretoria, both for the home market as well as export to other countries in Africa. During the annual IMF/World Bank meetings in Washington DC, it was announced that GE Africa President and CEO Jay Ireland had been named “International Business Leader of the Year” by African Investor magazine. The award illustrates that GE’s involvement on the continent goes far beyond rail specifically, but its name in rail-related business is of course significant in its own right. Africa as a whole, Ireland comments, has “a lot of need for rail” – a “key need” in landlocked countries - but track and other infrastructure is sadly lacking. GE specialises in rolling stock – mainly motive power (and signalling) – but without suitable track the usefulness of these components is limited. Sometimes GE partners with others in tackling track deficiencies. Shortage of skills is a real problem, and GE is actively busy with training in several places. Though cheap labour is often punted as a plus factor, any advantage here is offset by other shortcomings (often transport-related), Ireland says.

The group operates in 24 countries, with most activity located in South Africa, Nigeria, Angola, Ghana, and East Africa. Based in Nairobi himself, Ireland believes it unrealistic to try running business with Africa from Washington, London or Dubai. GE currently has assembly facilities in Nigeria and South Africa, and Angola is next in line.

TANZANIAREViViNG TANZANiA’S ARUSHA LiNERegional Commissioner Magesa Mulongo, speaking during the recent investment forum at Arusha in northern Tanzania, said the best thing that can happen in the area is rehabilitation and reopening of the 86km railway to Moshi, out of use for two decades. In fact the long-dormant line continues to the port of Tanga, as well as to Dar es Salaam. The road system is struggling with the continually increasing traffic, notably heavy trucks carrying freight, also passenger buses. Commissioner Mulongo envisages a revived railway serving the nearby Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), currently handling some 600,000 people annually, and providing a commuter passenger service between there, Arusha and Moshi.

Marc Nkwame, writing in the Dar es Salaam Daily News, points out that the rails are still in place. They are covered by grass but “otherwise still intact thanks to the effective engineering in the colonial times”. He adds sadly: “You see, they don’t make them like they used to”. The letters EAR (the former East African Railways), he says, are still visible, embossed on the steel sleepers. In Commissioner Mulongo’s words: “We are calling upon all potential investors to come and revive operations on the railway because when you come to think about it, the venture will be very profitable.”

TANZANiAN RoAD STRiKE HiGHLiGHTS RAiL SHoRTCoMiNGSA road freight strike early in October drew public attention to the poorly functioning Tanzanian railways. The country’s 2,707km of line is supposed to have capacity to move at least five million tons

of freight annually. In fact it only managed to move 198,024 tonnes in the whole of 2012, according to transport minister Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, who reported this figure when tabling his ministry’s 2013/14 budget estimates in Dodoma during May 2013.Comment in the local press highlighted the absence of any transport alternative during the road freight strike, emphasising at the same time that a properly functioning railway would make for lower costs overall. Particular concern was expressed at the effect on port clearance problems. Government, it was recalled, had ambitious plans for inland container depots to help decongest the harbour at Dar es Salaam. However, the success of these would depend largely on the ability of the railway to play its part. As one newspaper journalist put it, port efficiency will “remain meaningless” unless supported by an affordable and reliable railway.

UGANDAUGANDA PASSENGER SERViCEThe existing operating concession for the metre gauge railway in Uganda makes no provision for passenger services. Rift Valley Railways (RVR) has negotiated an agreement with the government to run a test project between the city centre in Kampala and Namanve, one of the busiest urban routes on the Jinja road. RVR

YDM4 locos on Tanzania’s Central Line. Photo: V Lines.

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gauge Ugandan railways, spent $US2 million on the 10-month refurbishing and plans to invest nearly $14 more in a second phase, to increase load capacity. The reopening of the railway has eased the transport of goods significantly – notably those bound for South Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

RVR READY To MoVE UGANDAN oiLIn terms of current government plans, Uganda expects to be producing oil for local use as well as export by 2017. Experts estimate that commercial oil production from the Albertine region in the west of the country will be about 3.5 billion barrels. Rift Valley Railways (RVR), the concessionaire running the Kenya and Ugandan railways, is gearing up to move the commodity when it comes on stream. It was largely with future oil demands in view that RVR recently spent nearly $US2 million reviving the long-defunct 500km of line from Tororo junction to Gulu and Pakwach. RVR director of external affairs Cosma Gatere is quoted saying an additional $15 million is to be allocated towards further improvements over the next two years.

ZAmBIAZAMBiAN PASSENGER SERViCEDaily passenger trains continue to run between Livingstone and Ndola, one in each direction. Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) managing director Muyenga Atanga gave this assurance in the light of fears - following the northbound train burnout on 11 October at Natebe near Livingstone - that the service would have to be curtailed.

It is hoped, Professor Atanga told journalists in Lusaka, to increase the length of the trains from seven coaches to twelve in the near future, and to fifteen later. He said coaches on order from South Africa are expected before the end of 2013.

general manager (concession) Sammy Gachuhi says five passenger coaches are available for use, each with a capacity of 100 people. If the pilot run is successful, further routes may be added, such as Kampala-Nalukolongo. It is expected that fares will be considerably less than those charged by minibuses.

HiGH HoPES FoR UGANDA’S NoRTHERN LiNE Twenty years since the 500km line from Tororo junction (on the main Kampala-Mombasa railway) to Pakwach ceased operating, Ugandan President Museveni formally launched the reopening in October. Important intermediate stations are Mbale, Kumi, Soroti, Lira and Gulu.Rift Valley Railways (RVR), the concessionaire working the metre

Keeping air FLOWing eFFicientLy

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PO Box 51063, Wierda Park, 0149, South Africa

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Fax: +27 (0)12 653 6841

Email: [email protected]

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It is intended to repaint rolling stock still bearing the colours of the former Railway Systems of Zambia (RSZ). These will be redone in ZRL red. Prof Atanga said the company would also remove the corporate blue colour used by RSZ and revert to red, the symbol of Zambia Railways Limited.

NEW CoACHES FoR ZAMBiAAcknowledging that rail passenger services had been “neglected” in the past, Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) chief executive officer Muyenga Atanga has announced plans to acquire 24 new coaches. It is intended to have these delivered within eight months, he says. In the immediate future, 13 diesel-electric locomotives are to be rehabilitated and work is to proceed on overhauling 848 wagons. It is the aim to complete track upgrading by August 2015, after which it is hoped to achieve a 50% shift in freight traffic from road to rail. Prof Atanga said ZRL’s target for 2013 is 3.6 million tonnes of cargo, increasing to six million tonnes by 2016. However new locomotives and wagons are required and the $US120 million Euro bond money allocated to ZRL is insufficient to meet these needs.

ZRL STARTS TRACK oVERHAULZambia Railways’ track rehabilitation launch on 22 October by transport, works, supply and communications deputy minister Panji Kaunda was, he says, “a big milestone towards getting the system back on its feet”. Colonel Kaunda’s speech was read for him by Livingstone District Commissioner Omar Munsanje The target is a line able to sustain train speeds of 70-80km/h. Many sections at present are limited to only 15 or 30km/h due to the poor state of the track. On completion of the project, the railway will be able to fulfil its core role of moving bulk cargo and copper. Higher speeds will result in shorter transit times, which mean more freight can be moved. This will help reduce the amount of goods carried on the roads, which are suffering under the pressure of heavy traffic. Savings accruing to the government in respect of lower road maintenance costs would be re-invested in social services such as hospitals and schools, Kaunda explained. ZRL Central Province regional manager Joel Chilufya said track rehabilitation is being carried out simultaneously at five sites, using in-house contractors – each employing a workforce of 50.

LUSAKA- BEiRA RAiL RoUTE LAUNCHEDIt was announced on 11 October that Zambian transport and communications minister Yamfwa Mukanga had officially relaunched the freight rail service between Lusaka and the port of

Beira in Mozambique after a break of 25 years. Mukanga told Zambia Railways Ltd (ZRL) CEO Muyenga Atanga that he wants 40,000 tons to be conveyed monthly. Professor Atanga was quoted saying that ZRL “is working hard to ensure that it becomes a viable transport company, second to South Africa in the region.” He added (according to the Zambian National Broadcasting Corporation) that ZRL” makes between three and four million dollars on a monthly basis”.

FERTiLiZER FoR ZAMBiA RAiLED FRoM BEiRAOn 3 October, a 25-wagon train left the port of Beira in Mozambique, carrying 1,000 tonnes of fertilizer bound for Zambia. This was the first consignment from a shipment of 10,000 import tonnes offloaded in the harbour. The train was routed along the Machipanda line to Mutare in Zimbabwe. It continued from there via Harare and Bulawayo, handing over to Zambia Railways Limited at Victoria Falls. The journey ended in Lusaka. This was the first time that this routing had been followed since the Machipanda line became unusable in the nineteen-eighties, during the Mozambiquan civil war.

ZImBABWE610MM GAUGE SHURUGWi RAiLWAYThe town of Shurugwi, formerly Selukwe - about 350km south of Harare - is located on a mineral-rich belt, commonly known as the Great Dyke in Zimbabwe. Chromate, gold and nickel are mined in the area. The town is the terminus of a 1,067mm gauge branch railway from Gweru (formerly Gwelo, 35km to the north) on the main Bulawayo-Harare line. At Shurugwi, a 610mm gauge mine railway is still operating according to recent reports by Scott Jesser and Chas Rickwood, “but only for a few more months. The Chinese owners aim to cut costs by contracting transport out to road operators with side-tipping trailers. The rail line will be left in place until the road option has proved itself, but with the reduced tonnages things look grim for the rail system. When we visited, B-B DH2 was doing all of the road work, running to Central from the Peak Mine, Ironsides and Railway Block. The loadings were a mixture of ore (Peak Mine only) and tailings (Peak Mine, Ironsides and Railway Block). It was great to see the railway in action.” Scott Jesser also visited the 762mm gauge line at Hippo Valley sugarcane estate near the town of Chiredzi in south-eastern Zimbabwe, not far from the border with Mozambique.

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ZiMBABWE GoVT iNVESTS iN RAiLIt was reported on 17 October that the government of Zimbabwe had injected $US4 million into the national rail system, to help with rehabilitation. The Zimbabwe Financial Gazette quoted National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) public relations manager Fanuel Masikati explaining that the state’s public sector investment programme (PSIP) has allocated $9 million towards capital projects, the $4m being the first part of this.

Masikati said the NRZ is expecting to receive the balance of US$5 million before the end of the year but according to earlier reports, the railway needs at least $2 billion to fund capital expenditure. By June 2013, the Gazette recalls, the “cash-strapped” parastatal owed employees more than $40 million in unpaid salaries.

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Railway Engineer (Geometric & Civil Design)Your key performance areas will include: ● planning and design of railway geometric layouts from conceptual design to detailed design ● preparing geometric railway layouts, long sections and cross sections ● design integration of railway infra structure: OHTE, signalling, perway, bridges, culverts, stations and depots ● rail way pavement and materials design ● thorough understanding of

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WEST AfRICAWEST AFRiCAN HiGH-SPEED RAiLThe proposed new 1,179km east-west railway from Nigeria through Benin, Togo and Ghana to Côte d’Ivoire is now being punted as a “high-speed” line, though no specific figures or speeds have been mentioned. The five countries involved are looking for about $US13 million to fund a detailed feasibility study under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas).

The envisaged railway will link four capitals - Abidjan, Accra, Lome and Cotonou - with an appropriate station in Nigeria. If – as seems likely – 1,435mm gauge is chosen, this should slot in with the standard-gauge network currently under construction in Nigeria. There would be no inter-connectivity with the existing railways in the other four countries, however. All use 1,000m gauge except Ghana (1,067mm). The all-in project is foreseen to cost in the region of $US60 billion.

AFRICA UPDATE


TRANSNET’S INTERIm RESULTSIn the six months to 30 September 2013, Transnet’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) rose by 19.3%. By comparison, the group points out, South Africa’s domestic economy as a whole increased less than 3% during this period. With net operating expenses lower than expected, other impressive figures were:

– Total revenue up 14.3%– Profit up 71.2% (to R2.85 billion)– Containers and vehicles by rail up 26%– Mineral and chrome volumes up 12%– Cost savings achieved: R1.4 billion

Capital spend to date amounted to R11.2bn, against a year budget of R27bn, but several large tenders have been let already.

TRANSNET CONfIDENT ABOUT RAISING CASHCommenting on its interim results for the six months to September, Transnet remarks that it raised R9.4 billion through issuing bonds in the domestic market. It hopes to raise a further R6.1 billion before the 2013/14 financial year ends on 31 March 2014. International capital markets have not been tapped thus far, GCE Brian Molefe points out. The group’s credit ratings are good, as recently confirmed by Moody’s, so this option remains. It is hoped to replace “Historic debt” acquired using state guarantees (about 3% of the total) with cheaper funding in due course, but not immediately. The timing for redeeming owings will depend on market conditions from time to time.

According to Molefe, Transnet should have a much bigger market share than it has, the reason for the current disparity (by comparison with road) being “inefficiencies” in the past. In the light

CLASS 20E LOCOS ARRIVEThe first two class 20E electric locomotives for Transnet Freight

Rail (TFR) arrived in Durban from China on 14 November. Their

running numbers are 20 002 and 20 003. The order for 95 units

is the largest single export deal for electric locomotives to date

for the manufacturer, CSR Zhuzhou - a subsidiary of the China

South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corporation (CSR). The BEE

component in the R4 billion contract is held by Matsetse Basadi.

The first ten units are to be completed in China, the remainder

being assembled by Transnet Engineering.

The four-axle, 3·1MW class 20E, with AC traction and ability

to work under both 25kV 50Hz and 3kV DC catenary, has

regenerative braking, a maximum speed of 100km/h, and is

equipped with low-speed controls. Each unit weighs 86,368kg and

the axle load is 21,870kg. The locos will help boost throughput

on the managanese export line, where their radio frequency

distributed power (RFDP) technology will see them deployed

mid-train in lengthy wagon consists. They are to undergo rigorous

testing for more than six months before being placed in service.

According to TFR chief executive Siyabonga Gama, the complete

process from order to delivery took less than 12 months,

including testing and approving a prototype. Similar assignments

usually take nearly twice as long.

Photos by: Charles Baker

Northbound class 15E (50kV AC) 15 036 heads out of Bobbejaansberg Tunnel (787 metres long), 90km from Saldanha on the export iron ore line. Photo: Shaun Loureiro.


RAiL NEWSSoUTH AFRiCAN

SA RAIL NEWS

of this, as implementation of the group’s marker demand strategy grows, overall performance should outstrip the national average.

TRANSNET R50BN BOND ISSUETransnet’s current financial year ends on 31 March 2014. Before then, the parastatal aimed to have raised R27.5 billion as part of its seven-year market demand strategy. The latest very successful placing was a seven-and-a-half-year R5bn rand-denominated bond into global capital markets - the first “Rand bond” sold to investors offshore. Transnet has now raised all the money it needs to fund its capital expenditure programme for this financial year. Registered on the London Stock Exchange with a yield of 9.5%, the bond was claimed by Transnet GCE Brian Molefe as the “first African local currency issuance in international capital markets”. The issuing process had been greatly simplified, he explained, because of its Rand currency. Global bonds are usually issued in dollars or euros, necessitating a complex (and costly) conversion. Issuing in Rand effectively cut 230 basis points from the cost – resulting in a huge saving of around R115 million.

fITCH UPGRADES TRANSNETOn 30 October, international ratings agency Fitch upgraded Transnet from BB+ to BBB. The announcement confirmed that efforts to strengthen the parastatal’s business and financial position had been successful, group CE Brian Molefe commented. Transnet’s ability to raise funds in the market on the strength of its balance sheet without government guarantees was an important contributor, Molefe said, enabling government to focus on other pressing needs in South Africa.

“The agency stated that Transnet’s credit profile benefits from its position in the country’s rail, port and pipeline services, with a long-term contract base and business diversification underpinning its strong operating cash flows,” Molefe added, pointing out that Transnet has “a robust execution plan and appropriate mitigating strategies for its investment programme”.

TRANSNET’S fINANCIAL DISCIPLINE PAYS OffTransnet plans to raise a third of the R307 billion seven-year infrastructure investment programme from a variety of funding sources, group CEO Brian Molefe says. These include domestic and international bond markets, bank loans and export credit agencies. “The rest,” he explains, “will be funded through cash generated from day-to-day operations.”

Commenting on the recent Fitch rating upgrade, Molefe said “This endorsement of our hard work and financial discipline is encouraging.” Transnet, he added, is confident its planned investment programme will enable it to maintain or even improve its current credit rating. “This upgrade by Fitch Ratings,” he said, “confirms that Transnet has appropriate processes and controls to execute its market demand strategy.”

PRASA SIGNS R51 BILLION CONTRACTOn 14 October, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) signed a R51 billion contract with Gibela – a joint venture led by Alstom of France - to supply 3,600 commuter coaches for delivery between 2015 and 2025. The contract - 61% Alstom; 9% for New Africa Rail and 30% for Ubumbano Rail which is the hosting entity in the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) for the BBBEE (Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment) partners - includes the construction of a local manufacturing facility. In addition, Gibela will provide technical support and is to supply spare parts over 18 years. This project is one of the biggest in rail transport worldwide and is the largest contract ever signed in Alstom’s history.

The new rolling stock will be the X’Trapolis Mega, a trainset specifically developed by Alstom to suit the 1,067mm gauge in South Africa. It can attain speeds up to 120km/h with the ability for upgrading to 160km/h. Each set comprises six coaches, able to carry more than 1,300 passengers. X’Trapolis modularity enables train configuration to consist of four or six coaches, or multiples thereof. On-board amenities include air-conditioning, ergonomic seats, real-time on-board information, Wi-Fi internet access and a combination of direct and indirect lighting. An enhanced door control system provides excellent accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility and there will be full-length connecting gangways. With a 95% recyclability rate, the X’Trapolis sets a high standard in environmental sustainability. Additionally, the stainless steel bodyshell reduces the weight of the train and its electrical braking capacity enables a significant reduction in energy consumption.

The contract was signed by Prasa Group CEO Lucky Montana, Alstom chairman and CEO Patrick Kron, and Henri Poupart-Lafarge, president of Alstom Transport. Financial close was expected by the end of December.

Prasa’s current rolling stock acquisition programme totals 7,224 new coaches with a projected investment of R123 billion over 20 years. The procurement is being done in two phases, the first being that launched on 14 October. The Gibela consortium, which is contracted for the first 10 years, is to acquire a site in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, where the trains will be manufactured The factory will house an engineering centre and a training facility. Construction is scheduled to start in early 2014 and the factory is due to come on stream in 2015. The project will create over 1,500 direct jobs and 33,000 indirect jobs over the first 10 years, and achieve a local-content level of more than 65%.

The first 20 trainsets will be manufactured in Lapa, Brazil. Alstom plants in France – at Ornans,Tarbes, Villeurbanne and Saint-Ouen - will be involved in the project over the long term.

Transnet GCE Brian Molefe.


SA RAIL NEWS

PRASA & TRANSNET ENGINEERING: NO WARStatement by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), 7 November 2013:

1. We, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), dissociate ourselves from today’s media reports claiming that there is “war” between Prasa and our sister company Transnet. There is no war.

2. Transnet Engineering has an important role to play in the revitalisation of the rail industry in South Africa. Prasa is in full support of Transnet and its subsidiary Transnet Engineering.

3. The government has mechanisms to resolve issues – if there are any – between entities of government. We, as Prasa, are under the guidance of the Minister of Transport to deal with any challenge that face us.

4. Prasa has noted the comments in the media attributed to the Minister of Public Enterprises and we will not entertain these matters in the public domain.

mAJUBA COAL LINE According to Eskom spokesman Andrew Etzinger, civil construction and earthworks for the new railway to the Majuba power station would be finished by the end of October. He expects the 68km line to be in operation by 2016. Expected to cost R5.2 billion, financing for the project enjoyed a R3 billion loan from the World Bank, with the balance coming from Eskom itself. The line is designed to transport 14 million tons of coal yearly to the power station from the Goedgevonden, Vlakvarkfontein, Exxaro, Middelkraal, Kuyasa and Shanduka mines. “It will go a long way towards lessening damage caused to roads by heavy trucks carrying coal”.

COAL fROm THE WATERBERGTransnet’s long-term plan for moving coal from the Waterberg envisages a completely new line to heavy-haul standards. The existing route from Ellisras via Rustenburg is being upgraded (a new passing loop was recently added) but is not suitable for rebuilding because of clay beneath the track. The route connects with the rest of the South African rail network at Pyramid north of Pretoria. By 2018, it is hoped to move 23 million tons of coal annually to Eskom’s new power station in Lephalale, Limpopo, This will comprise the first phase of the Waterberg coal line development.

mANGANESE LINE SHUTDOWNOn 1 October, 10 days of concentrated maintenance began on the export manganese rail route from the Northern Cape to Port Elizabeth. This was the second annual exercise on the line. Activities included the installing of new concrete sleepers, ballast screening, replacement of turnouts, major culvert and bridge rehabilitation, the placing of new rails, overhead electrical component replacements and general upgrading. The total cost for the shutdown was estimated at approximately R164 million.

DRIVER-ONLY fREIGHT TRAIN WORkINGFollowing a successful pilot study from August to November 2012, professional service providers are undertaking a detailed Human Factor study assessment to establish scientifically whether driver-only freight train working is feasible in Transnet Freight Rail operations. The study started on 8 October, with research taking place on the main-line north of Pretoria, specifically the Pyramid-Polokwane section which is electrified at 25kV AC. Ergonomics, working conditions and methodology are important terms of reference in the project.

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Previous car-carrier wagons had open sides, which exposed the vehicles they conveyed to damage. Their dimensions proved an increasingly problematical limiting factor, notably with the growing number of SUV-type vehicles and minibuses that could not be accommodated. It is intended that 350 wagons of the new design will have been completed by March 2014, nearly 200 being in service already. The vehicles are being completed at a rate of 14 each week.

The new fleet will contribute meaningfully to the policy of moving freight from road to rail. Zuma was quoted saying that the automotive industry is a key in the country’s economy, and that Transnet intends to invest in the Eastern Cape’s infrastructure, in order to support this. Altogether, he announced, the parastatal is to spend R26 billion in freight infrastructure projects in the Eastern Cape over the next three years.

On 5 November (though there were no fireworks), South African President Jacob Zuma unveiled the first of a new fleet of improved-design rail car-carrier wagons – type SCL – at Transnet Engineering’s Uitenhage plant in the Eastern Cape.


SA RAIL NEWS

Sachs International and J P Morgan Chase. Dr Matsooane will lead information and communications technology at Transnet.

PRESIDENT ZUmA OPENS BRIDGE CITY LINEOn 19 October, the R1.3 billion, 3.5km new railway to Bridge City north of Durban was officially opened by South African President Jacob Zuma, who appealed to the public to respect and look after rail infrastructure.

Zuma said: “We will continue as government to roll out these infrastructure projects, but we need your support to look after them; they are a national resource. We cannot and should not therefore burn trains just because we are angry that they have come late. Being only 17km from the Durban city centre, Bridge City brings together the communities of Phoenix and Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu and links them into the urban system. It serves as the social and commercial centre to an area housing a population of over 800,000 people.”

SISHEN-PE TRAffICIn addition to the lengthy manganese ore consists, a daily container train operates from Sishen to Port Elizabeth, running either via Bloemfontein or De Aar depending on the availability of crews. Ore is also moved from Sishen by road trucks as far as Bloemfontein, where it transfers to rail for onward conveyance to PE. An impressed observer reports: “the train traffic passing Kamfersdam is at an all-time high, it is a pleasure to watch the continuous procession.”

TRANSNET INfORmATION mANAGEmENT APPOINTmENTTransnet has appointed Dr Mantsika Matooane as group executive: enterprise information management systems. She holds a doctorate in computer science from Cambridge University and a master’s degree in business administration from the Henley Business School – also in the UK. Her BSc in mathematics and computer science was gained at the National University of Lesotho. Previous appointments included senior positions at Goldman

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“Please respect our trains; don’t burn them”: President Jacob Zuma.

SA RAIL NEWS

“ROAD fREIGHT IS mOVING TO RAIL”UD Trucks Southern Africa (UDTSA), the local division of Japan’s UD Trucks company, assembles commercial vehicles at its plant in Rosslyn, north-west of Pretoria. General manager Rory Schulz was quoted recently saying that some sectors of road freight are moving markedly to rail and that government efforts would ensure the trend continuing. Conceding that the proportion of total freight transported by rail in South Africa only increased by 0.4% in 2012 compared with 2011, he was certain the rate of change is set to grow. The room for improvement is significant, with some 88.5% of total goods still carried by road in 2012

ROAD-TO-RAIL ENDEAVOUR BOOSTEDTransnet Freight Rail (TFR) signed a memorandum of understanding with Imperial Logistics on 5 October, agreeing to “explore collaboration opportunities” within the logistics and transport sector. In addition to the objective of moving freight off the road and onto rail, the memorandum aims to reduce road traffic congestion and air pollution. Imperial Logistics chief integration officer Cobus Rossouw and TFR CEO Siyabonga Gama jointly welcomed the initiative as being in the country’s best interest.

NO INTERCITY BEDDINGFrom JB Train Tours Newsletter:“During the last week of September 2013, we (JB Train Tours) were informed by Shosholoza Meyl that they can’t provide bedding on any of their long-distance trains due to ‘internal problems’. We were informed ‘to make plans to assist our passengers with bedding.’ (We’d paid for the bedding in advance.)”

PRASA €250m CONTRACT fOR VOSSLOH LOCOS On 10 October, Vossloh of Spain announced it had been awarded a contract worth €250 million to supply new locomotives for leasing to the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), for use on Shosholoza Meyl long-distance services. The order consists of 50 “Euro Dual electro-diesel” and 20 “Euro 4000 diesel” locomotives. The electro-diesels will be able to operate on both electrified and non-electrified routes, thereby “reducing Prasa’s capital, maintenance and operating costs.”

At a World Travel Awards function in Nairobi, Kenya, on 16 October, South Africa’s prestige Blue Train was once again voted Africa’s leading luxury express. The Blue Train was named the world’s leading luxury train in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

BLUE TRAIN IS BEST IN AfRICA

Photo: Jacque Wepener.

The locomotives are to be delivered from the Vossloh España plant in Albuixech, Valencia, between the second quarter of 2014 and the end of 2016. The contract includes local skills development, and there are options for maintenance and additional locomotives.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it intended to ask the Auditor-General to probe the deal, and raised a number of points considered questionable. Prasa indignantly refuted these, saying they were “obviously based on lobbying elements within Transnet and the unions”. The contract had been awarded following “an open and competitive procurement process.”

HAmmERGLASS SA LAUNCHED AT AfRICAN RAILWAY SUmmITLaunched at the 2nd Annual African Railway Summit held on 5 and 6 November in Johannesburg, Hammerglass is now available in South Africa for fitting to trains. Existing windows can be replaced easily with Hammerglass which carries a 10-year warranty against discolouration and a 5-year general guarantee.

Bo Nilsson, CEO of Cetab SA, the company introducing the product to South Africa, explains that Hammerglass is an abrasion-resistant, chemical-resistant, age resistant polycarbonate which is 300 times stronger than ordinary glass with half the weight of glass - and virtually unbreakable. Hammerglass sheets are coated with a thin film of silicon oxide that looks like glass and protects against scratches and wear. Nanotechnology also provides UV protection of 99.96%, which helps prevent the glass from becoming cloudy, bleached or otherwise aged over time.

A 12mm Hammerglass sheet weighs 14kg/m2. To achieve the same protection with safety glass one would need a sheet 24mm thick with a weight of 70kg/m2.

Trains are often operated in harsh environments in which the glass windows can be broken by flying objects. If train windows break, there is a major injury risk. With Hammerglass, a safer environment free from broken glass is guaranteed as Hammerglass vehicle glass is virtually unbreakable.

Train windows are subjected to ever-increasing levels of vandalism in the form of glass etching and theft. Vandals use everything from rocks and keys to special needles and acid to create their tags. Removing their handiwork can prove a major expense.

Applying a sacrificial film on the Hammerglass is a simple way to combat this type of vandalism. The thickness and three-layer construction increases the resistance of the screen to scratching, etching and blows, thereby protecting the underlying surface. Vandals do not realise there is a protective film on the glass and, thanks to the coating’s special adhesive system, it can be easily and inexpensively replaced after an attack.

Hammerglass vehicle glass is also available as heat-reducing 6mm green shade HMG-IR and 12mm grey HMG-IR. Hammerglass IR reduces heat in trains by up to 55% as the polycarbonate granules have been mixed with a heat-absorbing medium, stopping solar heat from entering the train. www.cetabsa.co.za


SA RAIL NEWS

Act safely at level crossings


fREE STATE ROUND-UPRecent photos by Jacque Wepener.

The junction for Welkom on the Free State main-line, Whites will probably be closed as a trains operating station by the time this appears in print. It is to be controlled by Kroonstad CTC. (Nearby Hennenman and Virginia have already changed over).

A class 36 shunter: one in a line of forlorn locos out of service at Bloemfontein.

RRL-Grindrod RM30-RP01, working at the Free State goldfields.

A number of mid-October passenger specials from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein for the Macufe festival included this Premier Classe set, seen at Whites. The consist featured a yellow “Kwazulu-Natal Tourist Train” coach.

Sheltam 1202 at work in the Free State goldfields.

Two class 34 diesels were at the head of this air-braked train of FZ wagons near Erfdeel (11km north of Wesselsbron on the line to Bultfontein), heading towards Losdorings. Though known - as you probably guessed - as the Sandveld, this is not the Namib Desert but the heart of the Free State. The train will proceed by way of Allanridge and Welkom, accessing the main-line at Whites, 47km south of Kroonstad.

26 Railways Africa Issue 6 // 2013

SA RAIL NEWS


RULINGS ON GAUTRAIN CLAImSSpeaking on 6 November, Murray and Roberts’ (M&R) chief executive Henry Laas said he is hopeful for early settlement of the group’s substantial delay and disruption claim against Gautrain “which is progressing well”. With regard to the dispute over water seepage in the tunnel south of Rosebank, he expects a ruling in the near future. The “delay and disruption” claim is one of three major outstanding project claims – worth “billions” - instituted by M&R, the others being in Dubai and Australia. The group’s board and management, Laas says, “remain committed to the resolution of all contractual disputes.”

SANDTON LIfT & ESCALATOR PROBLEmSPassenger lifts not working at Sandton station have been the subject of a number of recent complaints. The escalators, apparently, have been troublesome, too. This creates real problems for elderly and other infirm people, as the platforms are some 45 metres below ground. The lifts have been criticised as “too few and too small” and poorly signed, giving rise to confusion because the doors open “unexpectedly” on both sides.

ADDITIONAL STATION fOR GAUTRAIN During the construction of the railway to OR Tambo Airport, provision was made for a future station at Modderfontein, in anticipation of extensive residential development in the area. This work involved the completion of platforms, so that train operations would not be disrupted once it became necessary to complete the station.

Heartland Properties, which manages AECI’s property portfolio in Modderfontein, is discussing plans for the station with the relevant provincial authorities, the Gautrain Management Agency and the Bombela Concession Company. According to studies carried out in the area, there should soon be sufficient demand for a station between those at Rhodesfield and Marlboro on the line to the airport. Should enough support be likely to eventuate by mid-2016, ie three years from now, building of the new station should begin within 18 months.

Mamelodi

Hat�eldPretoria

Centurion

Irene

Tshwane East

Samrand

Midrand

Blue Hills

Fourways

Sunninghill

Randburg

Cosmo

Ruimsig

Naledi

Westgate

Park

Honeydew

Roodepoort Rosebank

Boksburg

Rhodes�eldSandton OR Tambo

LakesideModderfontein

Marlboro

East Rand Mall

GAUTRAIN NEWSGAUTRAIN EXPANSION PLANSAmbitious plans have been announced to build new routes for

Gautrain, totalling more than 140km, ie almost trebling the

extent of the present network. The existing line from Pretoria

is to be extended south of Park station to Westgate. This

portion will be underground, beneath the Johannesburg CBD.

A line is to link Mamelodi, to the north-east of Pretoria, with

Naledi in Soweto. It is to run via Irene, Fourways, Cosmo

city, Honeydew and Roodepoort. A branch is to go from

Rhodesfield to Boksburg, and another (underground) from

Sandton beneath Randburg to Honeydew, which will be a

station on the Soweto line. Project leader Jack Van der Merwe

explains that the scheme remains a proposal until approved

by local municipalities and (eventually) the cabinet.

Nothing has been said about estimates for capital cost, or

the extent of operating subsidy foreseen. Nor has the likely

extent of fare levels. With regard to funding sources, van der

Merwe mentioned the possibility of “private sector borrowing

and private sector equity” as well as the provincial budget. He

was quoted saying: “We’re hoping we can access some of the

R800 billion allocated to strategic infrastructure projects”.

FOLLOW US ON@RailwaysAfrica


SA RAIL NEWS

CHINA CYCLONE DISRUPTS TRAINSIt was reported on 7 October that a cyclone with wind speeds of 150km/h disrupted train services in China.

SERVICE RESTORED NORTH Of NEW YORkIn an unprecedented situation, train services on the busy north-east corridor north of New York were severely disrupted following a substation failure on 25 September. The high-speed Acela service from Boston was one of those cancelled, together with intensive Metro-North commuter runs into Manhattan. Technicians finally connected a replacement substation on 6 October and normal train schedules resumed with effect from Monday 7 October. Both Amtrak and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (parent of Metro-North) effected fare refunds to passengers who could not travel.

RUNAWAY CHICAGO TRAIN IN COLLISION“What might have happened” is seldom newsworthy. Maybe that’s just as well, because otherwise a minor collision in Chicago on 30 September could have made headlines around the world. An empty passenger train parked in a yard somehow came to life and ran away down the line. Fortunately there was no opportunity to build up speed. At the first station, it bumped into a stationary train, denting two coaches and putting 33 commuters in hospital.

Traffic on the adjacent Eisenhower Expressway backed up as motorists slowed to view the crash. This continued until CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) officials covered the damaged coaches with a tarpaulin. The CTA Blue Line Harlem station remained closed for most of the day, being served by shuttle buses, with trains confined to a single track past the accident scene.

That’s the good news. However, what would have happened if the runaway had been moving really fast doesn’t bear thinking about. The accident took place at the height of the morning peak-hour. Hundreds of people could have been hurt, many seriously, and scores may have been killed.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) sent senior people to Chicago to examine the evidence, including signals, mechanical and operating specialists.

Witnesses including a yardman agreed there was nobody in the front coach, but a union official was quoted suggesting that someone may have been at the controls in another coach (this being a multiple-unit set).

In leaving the yard, the train reportedly ran through two sets of

points. This is not really surprising, as both would probably have been trailing sets. But as in the July runaway incident in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, there was no derailing device to prevent the train getting onto the main-line.

The NTSB subsequently issued urgent recommendations to the CTA, urging review of operating and maintenance procedures for storing rolling stock not in public service. According to its findings, the unoccupied train began moving “under power” in the yard. Entering the main-line, the train ran nearly two kilometres downhill “through five mechanical train-stop mechanisms.” Emergency brakes were applied and the train momentarily stopped several times before it reached the Harlem Station. “Following each stop, the train’s movement resumed because the master lever on the operator’s console had been left in a setting that allowed the brakes to recover from an emergency brake application, then reset and proceed through a mechanical train stop mechanism after a momentary stop.”

The NTSB investigation ascertained that empty CTA trains are routinely left “powered up” while in storage, with the brakes set to allow movement through mechanical train stop mechanisms after a momentary stop. According to its report: “De-energising propulsion power and using an alternate brake setting could prevent unintended movement and ensure that a train that does move unintentionally would remain stopped at a mechanical train stop mechanism.” It was also pointed out that various means exist to prevent a train entering a running line unintentionally, such as derailing devices. Had there been a derailer in the 30 September incident, the runaway would not have been able to access the main-line and no collision would have occurred.

mISS ON CYCLE IN A NARROW mISSDuring the first week of October, the British Transport Police released video footage of a female cyclist who rode around a lowered level crossing barrier and was “within seconds” of being hit by a train. The incident was filmed at Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire. Press reports said the train driver made an emergency brake application but the cyclist stepped back just in time, narrowly avoiding a collision.

TRUCk DRIVER CHARGED WITH mETRA COLLISIONThe driver of a semi-trailer car carrier was charged with causing a collision with a Chicago Metra commuter train on the afternoon of 21 October. Two people on the train were hospitalised with minor injuries but the truck driver was unhurt. According to evidence - despite gates and warning lights working correctly - he drove over the line without ensuring there was sufficient clear roadspace


Mishaps & BlundersOne objective of our regular feature reporting and commenting on rail mishaps is to provide information and object lessons from Africa and abroad, in the hope that – in some cases at least - this might help avoid recurrences.

MIShAPS & BLUNDERS

commuter train ran into a 33-seater matatu minibus at an “unofficial” crossing at Mutindwa in Nairobi’s Umoja estate. About 20 were admitted to hospitals. Apparently the police officer normally on duty at the crossing was absent on 30 October. It emerged subsequently that the Mutindwa road was opened to traffic across the line early in 2013, at the time when traders at the Mutindwa market were evicted. Allegedly no warning signs were erected because no official sanction for a crossing at this point had been given.

PENDOLINO PONG

Richard Branson’s Virgin Rail company runs some of the fastest trains in Britain. Curvature on the London-to-Scotland West Coast route is addressed by using rolling stock called Pendolino, which tilts when running into bends. The concept has worked well, though until recently it was thought it might be the source of an unpleasant smell, possibly caused by tanks of effluent spilling over. Continued investigations have now revealed what appears to be the real culprit - air conditioning inlets placed too close to the toilets, sucking in the foul-smelling air and spreading it through the train. The group has decided to spend £3.5 million on “refreshing” the entire fleet, to finally get rid of what has come to be known as the “Pendolino pong”.

fATAL BANGLADESH DERAILmENTTwo people died on 31 October when a coach in the Dhaka-Chittagong mail train derailed near Akhaura junction in the north-eastern Brahmanbaria district. Forty were reported hurt, many of whom were travelling on the roof. All rail communication was disrupted between the capital Dhaka and Chittagong, the second largest city in Bangladesh.

INDIAN TRAIN fIRE – 10 DEADOn 2 November, while the Alleppey-Dhanbad Express was travelling between Kerala state near India’s southern tip to Dhanbad near the border with Bangladesh, rumours that there was a fire on board led to panic. Passengers activated the emergency stop cord and jumped off, landing in the path of another train. Ten were killed outright and a number of others were injured, many seriously. Officials said there was no fire nor anything out of order on board the express, which was running through Andhra Pradesh state at the time of the incident.

EIGHT DIE, CROSSING TRACkS IN INDIAEight people were killed and two others injured when a train ran over them at Gotlam station in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on 2 November. All had been passengers on another train

ahead. Trapped with the trailer stationary over both tracks, the rig was hit by the train, which scattered smashed cars in all directions. Train service on the Milwaukee District West Line was disrupted for several hours.

ALBERTA DERAILmENT DISPLACED 126 RESIDENTS fOR 4 DAYS A 19 October derailment at Gainford in Alberta, Canada, displaced 126 residents from the village for four days. All were evacuated very early on the Saturday morning and not allowed to return home until Tuesday 22 October. Four of the 13 tankcars that came off the line were carrying petroleum crude oil, and the other nine were filled with liquefied petroleum gas. No injuries were reported, but three of the derailed vehicles sprung leaks, and caught fire. Subsequent explosions and flames closed part of the Yellowhead Highway. The fire burned so fiercely that firefighters had to withdraw until the flames died down. It was not doused finally until 22 October. Gainford lies about 80km west of Edmonton.

PAkISTAN TRAIN BOmBING kILLS SEVENThree coaches were derailed when a crowded Pakistan express from Rawalpindi to Quetta was blown up near Shori station in Balochistan province on 21 October. Seven people died and sixteen were injured. Several hundred passengers were aboard, returning to Quetta after the Eid holidays. The blast reportedly left a large crater and dislodged about two metres of track. The police suspected that an explosive device was detonated by remote control. According to press reports, separatist insurgents including the Taliban in western Baluchistan were likely to have been responsible.

UNPRECEDENTED STORm SHUTS DOWN Uk RAILWAYSOn 28 October, five passenger train operating companies in England said no services would operate until it was safe to do so. The extraordinary announcement by Southern Railway, Greater Anglia, First Capital, South-West Trains and London Overground followed a storm of unprecedented strength, with winds of 160km/h, that battered the south and east of the country. Millions of commuters faced the probability of being unable to get to work. Network Rail said a high risk existed of trees and debris falling onto lines, making it unsafe to run trains while the winds persisted.

More than 24 hours after the first outages, some 48,000 properties in the East and 9,600 in the South East still had no electricity. Around half a million homes and businesses were thought to have been affected since the storm first touched the British mainland. All passenger train services between Liverpool Street and Enfield Town were cancelled because of a fallen tree on the line between Edmonton Green and Southbury. There was no service on the Stansted Airport Express, while those hoping to travel on London Midland trains between Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey were told they would not be running due to a fallen tree. Up to 60mm of rain - half the monthly average - fell in just a few hours during the storm in areas including Hampshire and Devon, causing flash floods.

The Energy Networks Association said 459,000 homes suffered power cuts across England, with 166,000 disconnected. Debris falling on to power lines caused a nuclear power station in Kent to close down both its reactors. The port of Dover was closed and more than 130 flights at Heathrow Airport were cancelled.

TRAIN INTO mATATU kILLS 15On 30 October 2013, 15 people died when a Dandora-bound

A Pendolino tilting train. Photo: Bruno Martin

MIShAPS & BLUNDERS


HOPPERS DERAIL IN BENICIA, CALIfORNIAThree covered Union Pacific hopper wagons carrying petroleum coke to the nearby port derailed as they were being hauled from the Valero Refinery at Benicia, California on 4 November, but none of the cargo spilled. The second, third and fourth out of eleven vehicles left the track on a road crossing but remained upright. A by-product in the refinery, the coke is shipped to Asia where it is used as fuel.

BOSPHORUS TUNNEL POWER fAILSOne day after the new tunnel beneath the Bosphorus opened on 29 October, a power failure brought trains to a halt for several minutes. According to a transport ministry official, a number of people on a train activated the emergency stop buttons “out of curiosity”. Pushing on several buttons together apparently caused the power to fail.

COLLISION IN CHINA – 1 DEAD, 52 HURTA train from Xining, the Qinghai provincial capital, ran into an empty passenger set that had been incorrectly routed at the East Golmud station in a remote Himalayan region. It was reported that one person died and 52 were hurt. The line on which the collision took place continues some 2,000km at high altitude into Tibet.

ALABAmA OIL TRAIN DERAILmENT & fIRETwelve tankcars derailed and three exploded in a 90-wagon train on 7 November in west Alabama. Crude oil spilled and a trestle bridge was burned out. Fire department teams remained at the scene where the fire was still burning several hours after the accident. This was pinpointed near Highway 14 in Aliceville, Pickens County. No one was injured in the derailment however and no property was endangered.

DERAILER mAY HAVE CAUSED fATAL CRASHAn employee of a firm in Florida who – since the age of 19 - had 17 years’ service, lost his life when four rail wagons filled with gravel overturned during a shunting movement at the SunRail station in Sanford. Investigations after the accident revealed the presence of a portable clamper derailing device at the scene. Authorities were looking into this, endeavouring to find out why it was there.

who alighted and walked across the track, according to a report in the Hindustani Times online edition.

THREE kILLED fOLLOWING CT SIGNAL fAILUREOn 5 November, an afternoon signalling problem at Nyanga on Metrorail’s Central Line in Cape Town gave rise to train delays of up to 40 minutes. Apparently three men alighted from a stationary train at Nyanga station and walked across the tracks. They were struck and killed by another train travelling to Cape Town.

BUTTSkOP CROSSING IN THE NEWS AGAINOn 25 August 2010, minibus-taxi driver Jacob Humphreys, who was taking 14 children to school, overtook a line of stationary cars, ignored warning signals and drove around the lowered booms at Buttskop level crossing in Blackheath, Cape Town. A train collided with the vehicle, dragging it a considerable distance before the driver was able to stop. Ten children in the minibus died and four were injured. Humphreys received a 20-year sentence but this was reduced to eight on appeal.

The incident and subsequent proceedings received wide press and TV coverage but seem to have had little impact. Metrorail regional manager Mthuthuzeli Swartz told the Cape Argus there have been 80 near-misses at Buttskop in the past 10 months. These included trucks driving straight through and breaking off the lowered booms. Damage has cost Metrorail R400,000 this year alone. The train service is very adversely affected, being brought to a halt for about two hours after every collision.

Now hopefully the situation is going to change. Closed-circuit cameras have been installed at the crossing. Western Cape Transport MEC Robin Carlisle says vehicles recorded on camera will be traced and impounded. The driverS will be fined R500.

ALBERTA DERAILmENT: 13 WAGONS Off On 3 November, an eastbound 137-wagon freight from Prince George in British Columbia to Edmonton, Alberta, derailed 13 vehicles near Peers, about 177km short of its destination. Twelve of the wagons were carrying lumber but one was a tankcar with sulphur dioxide, a toxic gas. Fortunately it remained upright and did not leak, so no environmental concerns resulted nor danger to anyone.

LOCO & 4 WAGONS Off IN PENNSYLVANIAOn 1 November, a locomotive and four wagons derailed in Millcreek Township, Erie, Pennsylvania. City fire department officials said the loco, one of three heading the train, was damaged in the accident, resulting in a fuel tank developing a leak. Firefighters attended and dealt with the problem.

White Road, Retreat, where the first level crossing CCTV camera in Cape Town was installed in June 2012. In less than 19 months, 4,210 fines have

been issued on the strength of its recordings.

8 KM

Marmaray tunnel beneath the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey.


MIShAPS & BLUNDERS

12-YEAR-OLD PASSENGER kILLED BY STONEDuring the first week of October, according to a radio news report, a 12-year-old girl travelling in a Khayelitsha (Cape Town) train was hit on the head by a rock and died later in hospital. “At least four other people have been hurt in similar incidents in recent weeks,” the reporter added. He quoted Metrorail saying that children “as young as five” are responsible.

ILLINOIS TRANSPORTATION CROSSING STUDY According to a recent study issued by the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Urban Transportation Centre (UTC). increased education and enforcement efforts by municipalities and public transport agencies, and greater consistency in warning device designs, would help prevent pedestrians and cyclists from colliding with trains at level crossings. The study reported a lack of standards to analyse and/or quantify pedestrian risk. The effectiveness of “design-effective” measures to reduce risk”, comprising signage and electronic warning devices was assessed on a nationwide basis. Although many crossings feature manual or uniform traffic control devices (MUTCD), a large number of non-compliant MUTCD signs and devices were found to be still in use.

The extent of funding provided for protecting motor traffic at crossings far exceeds that made available for protecting cyclists and pedestrians. It was established that younger pedestrians are more likely to be aware of active or electronic warning signs. Older pedestrians more frequently take notice of passive signage. Distractions that make pedestrians vulnerable at crossings include talking on cellphones, pushing prams or listening to music on headphones.

In carrying out research for the study, a UTC team surveyed pedestrians at ten crossings in the Chicago area, and used video surveillance to monitor behaviour trends.

BUENOS AIRES CRASH – 99 HURTShortly after 07:00 on Saturday 19 October, a commuter passenger train overshot the end of the line in a dead-end platform at Once station in Buenos Aires, ending up wedged between the floor and ceiling. Altogether 99 people, many of them waiting on the platform at the time, were reported hurt. An almost identical incident at the same station injured 51 people in February 2012.

After the 2012 crash, the authorities revoked a private company’s concession to operate trains on the line and promised improved service. SEVEN ZAmBIAN COACHES BURNEDOn 11 October, the seven-coach northbound Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) passenger train caught fire at Natebe near Livingstone in the country’s Southern Province. All the vehicles were badly damaged. Concerns that this would affect the daily passenger workings in each direction between Livingstone and Ndola were allayed by ZRL managing director Muyenga Atanga who told journalists in Lusaka: “We have managed to put up another train and both of them are operating. Each train has seven coaches running now.”

CALIfORNIA ZEPHYR BACk AfTER fLOODSOn 12 October, the daily Amtrak California Zephyr between San Francisco and Chicago reverted to its normal routing west of Denver, following extensive line closures in Colorado since 11 September due to flood damage.

Passengers travelling between Chicago and Denver or between Salt Lake City and San Francisco were not affected by the use of a detour route through Wyoming during this time. However, Fraser-Winter Park, Granby, Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction in Colorado; and Green River, Helper and Provo, in Utah, lost Amtrak service until the Union Pacific Railroad was able to reopen the Moffat Tunnel route

EXCELLENT UNION PACIfIC RESULTS DESPITE fLOODSSustained heavy floods that severed numerous rail corridors in Colorado in mid-September halted traffic on some important lines for several weeks, necessitating substantial repair work. Managing obstacles like these, says Union Pacific (UP) President and CEO Jack Koraleski is “all part of running a railroad.” It did not deter the railway from attaining impressive results announced by Koraleski at a mid-October conference.

Diluted earnings per share jumped 13% to a quarterly record $2.48, operating revenue rose 4% to an all-time-high $5.6 billion, operating income climbed 10% to an all-time-best $1.96 billion and the operating ratio dropped 1.8 points to a best-ever 64.8 compared with third-quarter 2012 results. Net income increased 10% to $1.15 billion. “We managed our network efficiently and continued to benefit from the strength of our diverse franchise,” Koraleski was quoted saying.

STORm kNOCkS OUT GAUTRAIN SIGNALLINGA storm late on 7 October was blamed for a breakdown in Gautrain service. The Bombela Concession company’s Kelebogile Machaka was quoted explaining that the weather caused signalling problems which were sorted out “after an hour”. However, some commuters told press reporters they were stranded for nearer two hours and had difficulty getting home.


MIShAPS & BLUNDERS

its provision is precluded by financial constraints. In these circumstances, track maintenance still relies on strong backs rather than machines. Since this cannot match the necessary precision obtainable with mechanised maintenance equipment, further deterioration in the track invariably results. Many railways in Africa were constructed originally to reasonably high standards, notably during the colonial era. Following independence however, maintaining them did not feature prominently on the new governments’ list of priorities. It was a shortcoming that led inevitably to progressive deterioration of much of the continent’s railways, in the course of the following decades.

One of Zaayman’s photos depicts a line stripped of its ballast by the local people, who put the stones to good use in their own construction endeavours. The high percentage of freight in Africa that is moved today by road, he points out, has much to do with the parlous condition of many railways. The consequences are disastrous. “In most African countries the state of repair of road-going trucks is appalling, and this, in turn, puts lives at risk, ” Zaayman says.

To those who are not involved in the rail industry, a railway track gives the appearance of solid durability. In fact there is great deal more to it than meets the eye. The track is a dynamic structure, comprising steel rails, sleepers and ballast, which cannot perform effectively unless supported by a stable formation. Thus it is imperative that maintenance of lines be carried out competently, and to a regular schedule.

In maintaining modern, high-quality railways, reliance can no longer afford dependence on manual labour. Mechanised equipment is an indispensable component in maintaining permanent way to world-class standards.Unavoidably, ultra-large and sophisticated machines come at a price that can be daunting. In his book, Zaayman guides the reader – expert as well as the uninitiated - through all the stages and intricacies of mechanised track maintenance. The publication is a comprehensive yet highly readable work that should be an essential part of any rail infrastructure manager’s library.

Not many books have been published about mechanised track maintenance and those that deal with Africa are rare. Mechanisation of track work in developing countries is a valuable new publication, which adds significantly to the reservoir of available knowledge of this specialised area of railway operation.

Railways Africa spoke to author and rail expert Leon Zaayman about the book and the state of mechanised track maintenance in Africa.

Most of the reference knowledge that Zaayman cites is from published papers. However, he draws extensively on his own experience in the rail industry, having worked for – and with – the world’s largest track maintenance equipment manufacturer since 1996. He now runs his own rail consulting company.Asked why he saw a need for this publication at this point, Zaayman explains that Africa was never a strong focus for track maintenance companies.

Today however, due largely to growing world interest in the continent’s mineral wealth, the construction of a number of new railways is planned, and many existing lines are being upgraded. In particular, a high level of efficiency is needed when it comes to bulk mineral transport – as evidenced on South Africa’s heavy-haul coal and iron ore lines.

The need for mechanised track maintenance in Africa is clearly a subject of steadily increasing importance.As his book will prove a useful tool for those in charge of track maintenance, Zaayman has structured it – for ease of reference - with clear, numbered paragraphs. It is well illustrated, both with photographs and diagrams, most being the author’s own work.

Zaayman’s own extensive experience in the rail industry began when - as a sales engineer with an engineering background - he was recruited to lead a specialist firm’s marketing drive in South Africa, and to some extent into the rest of the continent as well. During this time he became well acquainted with South African rail operations and principals, and also with many elsewhere.

He benefited from his involvement with the Southern African Railway Association (Sara), which gained assistance from Austria in financing lectures on track maintenance in countries of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc). The lectures included upgrades to a software package that was available to Sadc railways for track maintenance management.

Subsequently, Zaayman was seconded to Sara to carry out training in Africa. Here he acquired first-hand understanding of the problems that African rail companies face in maintaining track, and organising the necessary work programmes. Early in the book he makes the point that infrastructure on many railways in Africa has been allowed to deteriorate so badly that complete rebuilding, rather than maintenance, is the only option.

In developed countries today, mechanised track maintenance is taken for granted. In many developing countries unfortunately, Leon Zaayman


BOOK REVIEW

Mechanisation of trackwork in developing countriesBy Leon ZaaymanISBN 978-0-620-56289-8 , February 2013 Edition 1. Published by Kimba Consulting, Johannesburg 2013. E-mail: [email protected] on application

GE’s intent is to take local production capability to well above 50%. “The investment we are placing in South Africa is not so much in a physical facility but in rather working through suppliers to localise components and sub-systems,” continues Schweikert. GE is working with these local companies if, for example, there is an investment need for equipment.

This value proposition is not only being extended to Transnet and the South African rail industry, but to the rest of the continent as well. At present, GE and its local partners are manufacturing locomotives that will be shipped very soon to the railway operator CFM in Mozambique. The company has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to supply Angola with 100 locomotives and, in addition, there are some other orders from the rest of Africa for locomotives that are being negotiated at present.

“So our value-add is not so much in foreign direct investment, but rather in creating a sustainable a locomotive supply chain that will serve not only South Africa but the continent as well.’

A bonus is that these South African suppliers to GE are also eligible to become part of the major’s global supply chain. He cites the example of Scaw that is now making cast truck frames for the US locomotive market.

By developing suppliers in South Africa, GE is both developing skills and creating additional job opportunities. With the first two contracts to supply Transnet, GE logged 32,000 hours of skills development training. Schweikert explained that these skills range from artisan training through to management leadership mentoring.A particularly valuable area of expertise that GE imparts is in Lean Six Sigma. Here some 250 South Africans were taken to the US for training in this discipline. Lean Six Sigma is of particular value in aligning local business practice with the global methods of business used by GE.

Where a competent local supplier needs assistance, GE is able to provide this development to bring them up to a point where they can meet GE’s supplier qualification standards. Here the US manufacturer is keen on fostering small and medium businesses, particularly those owned by historically disadvantaged individuals.

With the recent heightened interest in the continent’s minerals, the need for both upgraded and brand new railways and the requisite rolling stock has become more acute. In a number of African countries such as the DRC, Angola and Nigeria, GE is engaging with their governments, the message being that it can partner with them in a capacity that is more than that of an equipment supplier solely. “We can work with them in a consortium, to facilitate finance, or to identify an infrastructure partner if need be,” he added.

Here, being a part of the larger GE organisation has real advantages. “If we have to work in some of Africa’s Francophone countries, we may call on our European divisions for technical assistance. “And, with the additional input of GE, the burgeoning South African rail industry is well placed to serve the continent’s rolling stock needs,” concluded Schweikert.

A lack of investment saps the strength of any organisation. This was the case in the late 90s, when Transnet Freight Rail urgently needed new locomotives to serve South Africa’s rail fleet. A tender for new locos was issued and, in 2009, GE won the contract.

This was a milestone for South African rail as it had been decades since a brand new locomotive had been manufactured locally. Transnet Engineering completed an initial contract for 100 locomotives in partnership with GE. This was followed by an order for a further 43.

However, there is more to GE’s involvement in sub-Saharan Africa than the bare manufacture of locomotives. Railways Africa spoke to Tim Schweikert, who is both the President & CEO – GE South Africa and of GE Transportation, Sub-Saharan Africa. He elaborated on the dynamic role the company is playing, both in sub-Saharan and South Africa.

Commenting on GE’s recent achievements, he explains that the TFR contracts were all completed ahead of schedule. “Our locomotives are all now in service, running at about 96% availability. We are delivering on everything we committed to – and more – in terms of the operational efficiencies”.

While in South Africa Transnet Engineering and Transnet Freight Rail keep to a high level of maintenance, the lack of servicing of rolling stock on many African railways has been an issue“The product we have here was designed for Africa, and it is the first AC-AC technology so it is a more robust traction technology. In addition, from a maintenance perspective, the technology is better, as, for example, the AC traction motors have a longer lifespan than their DC counterparts,” explains Schweikert.

GE South Africa Technologies (GESAT), GE Transportation’s South African division, carries out a bi-weekly operational review where it looks very closely at pre-empting any emerging problems.“It is important to understand the root cause of any problem, and provide a proper solution before any breakdowns occur,” says Schweikert.

In terms of the longer-term future of South Africa as the Africa’s rail manufacturing hub, GE has made a substantial contribution by localising 35 to 40% of its production capability. “When you measure that on a Competitive Supplier Development Programme (CSDP) basis, this is about 60%,” explains Schweikert.

Transnet Freight Rail class 43 (GE C30ACi) diesel-electric. Photo: Charles Baker.

GE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

33Issue 6 // 2013 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com 33Issue 6 // 2013 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com

GE’S INPUT BOOSTS SA AS CONTINENTAL RAIL HUB

As I sit today on my front stoep in Sedgefield with my family, swifts and swallows knife through the air, making the colourful paragliders weaving back and forth above the forested dune look half asleep. Beyond, the cooling mists pack up against the Outeniquas and beyond that still, over the Karoo, tower cauliflower heads of cumulus, promising thunderstorms towards late afternoon. This is the hot hush of mid summer and our clothes stick to us in the heat, despite the cooling breeze off the sea.

It takes me back to Decembers of long ago. Family holidays all over South Africa when it was trunks in the guard’s van and big wood and canvas suitcases stowed in the compartment. A hot, stifling compartment, often in a coach retrieved from the yards to be coupled to a train already choc-a-bloc full. One wondered about the sweating crew hanging out of their cab windows in the 40 degree heat as heat waves shimmered off their loco. The over-full tender slopped water which cascaded down the tender’s shiny flanks onto the ballast. We longed to duck under it to cool ourselves.

I remember the searing temperatures of South West Africa (today’s Namibia) in December. Not once did we leave Windhoek with the promise of rain in the air. The early afternoon light was silver bright with no moisture to soften it and shadows seemed etched in black. We’d watched the clouds building up as sunny winter gave way to sunny spring and then summer, but the clouds all sloped off to Bechuanaland (now Botswana), to flicker their teasing night-time lightning to farmers and townsfolk alike.

In the days before tarred roads and air-conditioned motor cars, it was testing on those trains. In the soft class at the rear, we swabbed ourselves off with wet wash rags and waited for the sun to sink below the

horizon. Up front, the enginemen stoked and steamed in their 50-degree cabs.

Wooden shutters were drawn by bedding staff and the hot wind whistled through the louvres while the locomotives’ exhausts told of the constant struggle to keep on the move. Lunch was over, tea two hours away in the dining saloon. So we lay on our upper bunks and perspired, our skin sticking to the leather. There was nothing better to do.

Many passengers took canvas water bags along, for cool water which tasted like canvas.

At 4 pm we went through for tea - or in our case, Schweppes granadilla or orange juice with ice. Together with a slice of fruit cake wrapped in cellophane. All the shutters on the western side were drawn. Above us the chromed fans spun. We waited for the downdraft of cooling air but felt none.

At Rehoboth-in-the-sand we kicked off one locomotive while the other took water There were trees - camelthorns - around the station building which threw pools of shade in which people lolled. A railway bus stood throbbing under a giant tree. The driver made sure of maximum shade protection but the passenger compartment baked out in the sun. A straggle of people from our train headed listlessly towards the bus which promised more and even worse discomfort with heat and dust.

Our train pulled out of Rehoboth slowly and once again we revelled in the movement of air around us. We passed the water tanks with pools of surplus tender water and screaming kids, the rail joints clicking loudly as we passed underneath the structure’s shade and then once more the afternoon sun beat down, though less harshly now. It was only at Tsumis

Park, some 50km further, that at last the lengthening shadows of evening could be seen in the sand.

After Tsumis the chimes called us to dinner as evening fell and it was cooler. As we enjoyed our meal, we watched a spectacular sunset on the hot scrubland near Kalkrand, watched as the tiny hotel, its neon light winking technicolour in the drab greys of evening in the desert, hosted a gathering of local farmers, their bakkies drawn up as at a drive-in cinema. Except that the entertainment wasn’t in the vehicles but inside the hotel. Sounds of raucous laughter reached us, encouraged by booze and the cool of the evening when jokes, any jokes, became funny again. Our train’s watery whistle reached us and the hotel and people out on the veranda waved and shouted. Slowly the little oasis grew smaller until just the lights of the train and the dark veld accompanied us.

We sat in a darkened compartment after supper with our windows lowered. Cool air rushed in as we listened to the track sounds and the exhaust of the loco as we headed for Mariental. Towards the east, every now and then there was an orange flash of distant lightning.

Waking at Keetmanshoop on a dry dawn. All pinks and mauves and greys. New locomotives, Upington that evening, theOrange River, the big bridge, irrigation, water aplenty.

The rain was still over the central Kalahari. Still too far distant. It’ll be another stinker tomorrow for sure.

– Pierre de Wet

THE oRiGiN oF “CoCoPAN””Interesting comment by Piet Conradie in Railways Africa 3/2013 on the origin of “cocopan”. However, only the Zulu derivation is given in A Dictionary of South African English on Historical Principles (Oxford University Press in association with the Dictionary Unit for South African English, 1996). The product of 25 years’ work, this Dictionary covered the vocabulary of English in South Africa from the 16th century to the 20th, The current onl-ine edition of the complete Oxford Dictionary gives the same derivation, though it uses “Nguni” rather than “Zulu”.

Conradie suggests “koekepan” as the origin of “cocopan”, but cake pans are usually quite shallow, flat-bottomed and often circular. With respect, I don’t think the cake pan theory passes the kitchen test: a cocopan simply doesn’t look like a cake pan. (Have a look at “cake pan” and “cocopan” on Google Images )

– Lance E Dickson, California

SUmmER TRAINS

END OF ThE LINE


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