Railways Africa Issue 3 2013

Transformation in the Rail Environment has shifted attention from Quality to Quantity.

Sheltam remains focused on Quality and Service Excellence.

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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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 3 // 2013 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com

BARBARA SHEATPublisher / Railways Africa

PUBLISHERBarbara Sheat

EDITOR Rollo Dickson

DESIGN & LAYOUTGrazia Muto

WEBSITEShaun Loureiro

ADVERTISINGKim Bevan

SUBSCRIPTIONS Kim Bevan

CONTRIBUTORSAnton van Schalkwyk

Bruno Martin

Chas Rickwood

Dietmar Fiedel

Eugene Armer

Jacque Wepener

John Batwell

Leon Zaayman

Pierre de Wet

Piet Conradie

Stewart Currie

ISSN 1029 - 2756

Rail Link Communications ccPO Box 4794 Randburg 2125

Tel: +27 72 340 5621

E-mail: [email protected]

Twitter: @railwaysafrica

Website: www.railwaysafrica.com


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55 years down, and quite a few more to go….

Railways Africa (known initially as Railway Engineering) fi rst appeared in 1957. This means

we’re the longest continuously running title on railways – by quite a long way - on the

continent. As a matter of fact, few magazines in any technical fi eld have remained in

publication without break this long (excluding, obviously, in-house journals at one or two

professional associations).

Elvis Presley was going strong in 1957, the year when Soviet Russia launched Sputnik into

space and Ghana was the fi rst British colony in Africa to gain its independence. America

tackled racial segregation head-on, desegregating buses and schools in Little Rock, Arkansas.

François “Papa doc” Duvalier became dictator in Haiti, and the blockbuster Round the

world in 80 days drew crowds everywhere. Oscars for the best fi lm, best director and best

actor went to The Bridge on the River Kwai. Popular author Neville Shute published On

the beach, in which nuclear explosives write off most of the world, and Grace Metalious

wrote Peyton Place. A non-fi ction best-seller was Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do?

Nothing, by Robert Paul Smith.

Authoritative and wide-ranging content has kept Railways Africa in the forefront of its

publishing niche, markedly enhanced in recent years by the complementary, easily

accessible and fully archived website www.railwaysafrica.com, featuring the latest rail news

on the continent, updated every week. Both current and previous issues of the magazine

are downloadable in .pdf format, free of charge, and it remains available by subscription in

conventional print.

We like to think our writers lead the pack in their specialist fi eld, and we’ve been privileged to

number some highly regarded names as editor. A E (“Dusty”) Durrant springs immediately to

mind, and Helmuth Hagen’s distinguished years from 1992 aren’t forgotten lightly. Helmuth

came to us with a wealth of hands-on experience in top South African rail management.

Present editor Rollo Dickson recalls reading early issues of Railway Engineering in the CSIR

library, where – once upon a time - he headed the organisation’s Information Division as

scientifi c editor and publisher.

My own tenure at Railways Africa comes of age this year. To our many readers, contributors

and advertisers, my sincere thanks for your support throughout 21 inspiring years.

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Botswana Coal Heads to Durban 14

Ansaldo Signals for Morocco 17

Africa Update

RAILWAYS AFRICA / CONTENTS

ContentsContents

PLASSER SAMaintenance Strategy to Ensure Long-term Sustainability of Track Infrastructure 6

Features 6

17

26

www.railwaysafrica.com

Blue Train Upgrade 22

Actom & Alstom Sign Technologies Agreement 25

SA Rail News

Sell-by Dates for Rolling Stock, Riding by The Rules, Hindsight in Zambia, and Predictions for Africa. 10

Pete the Pundit

Origin of The Word Cocopan 34

End of The Line

Trains Run Non-Stop Through Port Said 28

South African Rail Accident Stats 33

Mishaps & Blunders

Issue 3 // 2013 Railways Africa 5

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1. INTRODUCTIONTransnet is to spend R300 billion on a number of impressive

projects, many involving new track infrastructure and rolling stock.

These include the Swaziland rail link, expansion of the iron ore line

throughput to 82,5 million net tons, etc.

At the same time, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa

(Prasa) is to replace its entire coach fl eet and upgrade its track

infrastructure to accommodate the higher speeds made possible

by new-generation rolling stock.

Railway operators (and the Railway Safety Regulator) seriously need

to address the following questions:

• Are the necessary engineering and technical resources

available to effectively manage additional infrastructure, as well

as existing infrastructure with greater maintenance demands?

• Are world-class long and short term strategies in place to ensure

sustainability of the assets, as well as the safety of passengers

and stakeholders?

• Are safety standards available and effective?

• Is track infrastructure being maintained to safety standards?

• Are technology and reliable systems in place to consistently

measure, monitor and evaluate infrastructure conditions against

safety standards, in order to take timeous corrective action

where needed?

This article addresses a maintenance strategy required to ensure

long-term sustainability of the assets, safety to commuters and

freight, at the lowest possible life-cycle cost. These principles

and practices have been thoroughly researched internationally

and are common practice on modern railways. The strategy will

be explained at the hand of a hypothetical track deterioration

curve (Figure 1). On this curve, many important strategies and the

infl uence of maintenance on track life can be illustrated.

Point “A” on Figure 1 represents the condition of the track after

construction (the initial quality, par 2). This condition level will

depend on the design, quality of materials used and quality of

construction methods.

The condition of the track will start deteriorating as soon as

traffi c passes over the line due to dynamic loading and wear of

the individual track components. The deterioration of one track

component will accelerate the deterioration in others.

Maintenance Strategy to Ensure Long-term Sustainability of Track Infrastructure

The curve “AC” represents the resulting exponential deterioration

of the track as a whole. If the deterioration is left unattended,

the functionality of the track will deteriorate until it reaches the

maximum allowable safe condition (par 3) after which drastic

measures will need to be taken to ensure the safe passage of

traffi c, or the line will have to be closed. This applies to the track

as a whole and also to each individual component with its own

unit of measure and level of maximum allowable safe condition.

This would be uneconomically short. To extend the life of the track

and reduce the life-cycle cost to a minimum, the track deterioration

must be slowed down through planned maintenance interventions

(par 4), as depicted by the line ”BD”. However, the original as-built

functional condition cannot be regained by typical maintenance

input due to the wear of the track components. The maximum

possible improvement in condition will depend on the extent and

quality of the maintenance input.

The threshold for maintenance intervention (par 5) is a specifi c

unit of measure for each track component. Some components

may require an absolute measurement such as rail wear before

grinding is required or rails are replaced, whereas other geometric

measurements such as track roughness will trigger tamping

requirements. Guidelines for track and component condition

is normally provided in the form of “A”, “B” and “C” standards

where the A-standard is a condition within allowable tolerances,

the B-standard is a deviation from the required standard and the

C-standard represents a condition requiring urgent maintenance

intervention necessitating speed restrictions as a preventative

measure until corrective maintenance can take place.

Knowing when maintenance intervention is required implies that

the track condition must be monitored and measured constantly,

and the data analysed to produce track condition information (par

6). There are several parameters and components that must be

measured. Of these, the track geometry is the most critical. The

use of a high-speed infrastructure measuring and recording car is

the only feasible way to carry out these measurements. The IM2000

supplied by Plasser South Africa is currently used countrywide

by both Transnet and Prasa, producing critical track condition

assessments and management information.

After maintenance intervention, the track will continue to

deteriorate (curve “DE”). As the deterioration approaches the

threshold for minimum allowable track conditions, maintenance

intervention is required again (line “EF”) and, as before, the

condition achieved after the previous maintenance input cannot

be regained due to the deterioration of the components.

This process continues with each maintenance input, each

time achieving a lower track condition than before and the

interval between maintenance inputs reduces exponentially. This

produces a new deterioration curve (curve “AK”) which is much

longer than the curve “AC” without maintenance input. The life of

the track has therefore been extended and the life-cycle cost of

the track reduced, resulting in lower operating costs and greater

competitiveness.

This process will continue through many cycles until the

period between required maintenance interventions becomes

Figure 1 : Hypothetical track deterioration curve

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

PLASSER SOUTH AFRICA

Local Partner of Plasser & Theurer for:

Consulting and new machine sales

Technical support

Training

Spare parts

Major component overhaul and machine refurbishment

Operating and maintenance agreements

Contracting

Plasser South Africa (Pty) Ltd | PO Box103, Maraisburg, 1700 | Tel: 011-761-2400 | [email protected]

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the parameters can be adjusted at the discretion of the engineer.

These are not regulations and also do not take into account the

condition of other components or rolling stock, or the infl uence that

the combined deterioration will have on safety and sustainability.

The weighted deterioration of the track requires consideration and

should be part of the maintenance and track condition management

process.

4. MAINTENANCE INTERVENTIONEvery maintenance input should aim to reduce the track condition

deterioration rate. Due consideration should therefore be given to

fi nding the appropriate machine type, supplier and contract for the

task at hand.

So for example, when deciding on the tamping machine to be

used, consideration should be given to the track kilometres to be

tamped per annum, the number and tamping cycle of turnouts,

the length and availability of maintenance windows, etc. A low

production tamping machine may have a low initial cost, but due

to its low production rate, the unit costs of tamping long distances

on main-lines will exceed that of a high-production, more expensive

machine.

5. THRESHOLD FOR MAINTENANCE INTERVENTIONMaintenance strategy should address the value of the threshold

for maintenance intervention as this will have a major infl uence on

the track’s life-cycle cost.

The threshold is a value decided in terms of the maintenance

strategy and will be in a unit of measure specifi c for every track

component. If the threshold for maintenance intervention is set

at a low value (threshold 2 on Figure 2) the effect of too little

uneconomically short (compare distance “GI” with “BE”). Major track

renewal eg ballast cleaning, formation rehabilitation, replacement

of sleepers, rails, fastenings, ballast or any combination of these

components will then be required (line “IJ”). The whole process will

repeat itself.

2. INITIAL QUALITY The strategy regarding the design, quality of construction materials

and processes will have far-reaching consequences for expenditure

later in the life of the track structure. The use of, for example, lower

standard track components, or lower standards of formation or

drainage construction, may save money in construction costs, but

the extra track maintenance cost, train delay times and reduction

in the track life that result from this lower standard of work will far

exceed the perceived savings.

The higher the initial quality of the track, the greater the quality

reserve, the longer the track life and the lower the track life-cycle

cost will be.

3. MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE SAFE CONDITIONIn contrast to the practice in countries with world-class railways,

minimum safety standards have not been legislated in South Africa.

As a result, safety becomes subjective and maintenance managers

have diffi culty in justifying the need to take drastic steps in ensuring

the safe passage of trains. Even after catastrophic accidents, it may

be diffi cult to prosecute because no regulation or law was broken.

The Railway Safety Regulator, the railway watchdog, is also forced

to be reactive and can only act once an accident has occurred.

Track conditions in the form of “A”, “B” and “C” standards as

developed by Transnet and Prasa do provide some guidelines but

Figure 3: Plasser infrastructure measuring car.



KEEPING AIR FLOWING EFFICIENTLY

105 Theuns Street, Hennopspark, Centurion, 0157

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infrastructure measuring car (Figure 2) is manipulated to produce

accurate track condition information. From this, the extent to

which the threshold for maintenance intervention is exceeded

can be derived, priorities determined and maintenance budgets

established.

7. CONCLUSIONThe frequency of maintenance interventions will depend

predominantly on environmental conditions and the tonnage that

passes over the line. Some frequencies may be very short, others

long. For example, tamping on a particular line may be required

once in every 12 months while ballast cleaning may be required

only once in 20 years.

Well maintained maintenance machines have very long life-cycles

and it is important that they be utilised to their full capacity, to

ensure the lowest possible cost of the machinery. The machines

are unique to the 1,067mm gauge used in South Africa. Once

purchased, they cannot be used on the more common 1,435mm

gauge employed elsewhere. Poor planning by rail operators

leads to idle machines and equipment, thereby infl ating track

maintenance costs.

It is therefore essential that railway operators have maintenance

strategies that suit short (1-year), medium (5-year) and long-

term (20-year) maintenance requirements and that are budgeted

accordingly. The strategy should seek to extend the useful life of the

assets cost-effectively, at the same time ensuring the consistent

safety of both stakeholders and passengers. The plan must be

formal, approved by top management and regularly updated. It

must be transparent and shared with all stakeholders. Suppliers

and investors will then be in a position to align their own business

strategies with those of the client’s and provide the most cost-

effective maintenance solutions.

maintenance will be hardly noticeable at fi rst but the service life

will be reduced by the knock-on effect of earlier track defects.

For example, if the track roughness index is set too low before

tamping takes place, the roughness will cause higher dynamic

loading of the track. This will cause crushing of the ballast, which

in turn will result in fi nes in the ballast bed retaining moisture, etc,

eventually resulting in damage to the track material.

6. TRACK INFORMATIONThe fact that maintenance intervention is required before track

deteriorates to a point below a minimum threshold implies that

the track condition must be determined on a regular basis. Track

condition monitoring takes place at various levels; from high-speed,

high-technology measurements, to walking the track, to inspections

from the footplate or by trolley. Observations by train drivers can

be valuable.

Various measurement parameters can be used to decide where

the threshold for minimum track condition lies, such as the

number of workplaces and/or speed restrictions per kilometre. For

scientifi c management, the data obtained from the IM2000

Figure 2: Effect of threshold level on track life.



“Nevertheless,“ she told the paper, “we are in the process of

reviewing our standard business terms and conditions to ensure

that they do not contain unfair contract or prohibited terms”.

Her assurance is comforting, but isn’t it a little late? The Consumer

Protection Act came into effect in April 2011 - four months before

Gautrain fi rst started running trains on its main-line to Pretoria.

GAUTRAIN RULES, OK?A notice on the Gautrain website, also displayed in all its trains, says

explicitly: “The Gauteng Provincial Government. Bombela Operating

Company and their shareholders, directors, offi cers, employees,

subcontractors or agents or affi liates in whole or in part, shall

not be liable in any way whatsoever for any loss, injury or damage

(including but not limited to consequential or special damages or

loss of profi ts) of whatsoever nature, and whether or not caused

by the negligence (gross or otherwise).” The text concludes by

“releasing” itself from “any duty of care towards passengers”.

South Africa’s Consumer Protection Act, the Sunday Times pointed

out recently, prohibits a supplier from limiting or exempting itself

from liability for any loss attributable to gross negligence and from

having unfair, unreasonable or unjust contract terms, including

ones that are “excessively one-sided in favour of any person other

than the consumer”.

Asked about this, Bombela customer services manager Christina

Blignaut was quoted explaining that similar exemption clauses “had

been the norm across industries” before the act was implemented.

Good for another innings: 30-year-old South African 5M2A trainsets

impressively rebuilt in 10M3 format by Bombardier & Transnet Engineering.

A 10M3 set near Simon’s Town: water colour by the late Malcolm Bates

(seen in the previous photo), an acknowledged authority on South African

commuter rolling stock.

Derailments, collisions, trains-on-fi re, driver shortcomings,

brake problems, faulty doors, whatever - every time someone

has a complaint about commuter rail in South Africa, the

offi cial response highlights (and often blames) the average

age of rolling stock, variously said to be more than thirty or

even forty years. Exactly what this implies isn’t spelled out.

Does the fi gure meaningfully exceed world norms? At what

level do things like passenger safety begin to be at risk?

Thirty-nine years? Forty-two? But here’s a thought – Aren’t

question-marks about maintenance adequacy more to the

point than age?

We heard last month that passenger rolling stock in

intensive service between Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein

in Germany is more than 40 years old. The story didn’t

suggest this exceeds a norm or has safety implications;

apparently it’s just that in current Western European

terms the coaches are “too loud and do not offer enough

passenger comfort.”

In any event, AKN Eisenbahn - the company running

commuter and freight trains in Hamburg and Schleswig-

Holstein – has awarded Alstom a contract worth €60 million

to supply up-to-the-minute replacement trainsets.

ROLLING STOCK – DOES IT HAVE A SELL-BY DATE?

‘‘ Bit risky playing chess on a

Gautrain bus: it’s bound to be

against the rules.’’


OPINION – AND THE WIDER WORLD

Sell-by dates for rolling stock, riding by the rules, hindsight in Zambia, and predictions for Africa.

PETE THE PUNDIT ruminates on

people would use the system each day when fully operational,’

Mr van der Merwe said.”

KABWE HUB PLAN FOR ZAMBIAN RECONSTRUCTIONZambia Railways Limited (ZRL) managing director Clive Chirwa,

currently under suspension, visualised centrally located Kabwe,

housing offi ces and workshops for manufacturing rolling stock,

becoming a hub. Around it, his three-year reconstruction project

PREDICTIONS FOR AFRICAIn the words of Bombela Operating Company’s Kelebogile Machaka:

“Gautrain’s average weekday ridership in March 2013 (about

48,000) refl ects an increase of 60% compared with March 2012

(30,000). She added ominously that the growth in patronage is

placing “severe strain” on the system during peak hours, “with

passenger demand already approaching levels only predicted in

year ten of the concession period.”

Predicted by who, exactly? (or should that be “whom”?) According to

a Business Day report on 22 October 2010: “Gautrain management

expects 140,000 passengers a day to use the high-speed Gautrain

rail service when the fi nal phase is completed in the middle of

next year” [ie 2011]. The paper quoted Gautrain Management

Agency CEO Jack van der Merwe saying on 21 October that “initial

forecasts predicted 77,000 passengers a week would use the fi rst

phase between Sandton and OR Tambo International Airport. In

the fi rst few months of operation, the average was about 76,000

passengers a week. ‘This is a clear indication that our forecasts

were quite accurate. This gives us renewed confi dence that 140,000

Railway Systems of Zambia (RSZ) chief executive Benjamin Even,

when informed late in 2012 that his company’s concession was

being cancelled for non-performance, pointed out indignantly that

it had invested more than $US50 million since its appointment in

2003 – considerably more than the contractual obligation. “Our

obligation as concessionaries was to operate and improve the

infrastructure and hand it back to the government at the end of

the concession period in a better condition,” he was quoted saying.

Today, RSZ is loudly blamed for the state of the railway, its

infrastructure and rolling stock, and for failure to attract heavy

goods traffi c off the roads which are breaking up under the strain.

The story is a familiar one in Africa, where state-owned railways

suffering from decades of neglect, characterised by chronic

under-investment and minimal maintenance, are handed over to

concessionaires who are expected to pump in millions and work

miracles.

Miracles unfortunately take far too long for most politicians. Results

are needed quickly, at least before the next election, otherwise the

politician (rather than the concession-holder) risks biting the dust.

A change in government during the currency of a concession almost

automatically spells trouble – as (it seems) happened in Zambia.

On several occasions in recent years, RSZ CEO Even warned of

problems that his company could not solve on its own, In October

2011 he was quoted saying: “The government of Zambia must

honour the concession agreement for the sake of the Zambian

economy and RSZ employees, and should support our sector with

implementation of transport policies which will make the railways

more competitive in order to shift traffi c from road to rail. These are

mainly refl ected in the road levy refunds, support towards security

and road regulations to be enforced such as weight limitations

and toll gates.” RSZ he said faced challenges such as “about $5

million of paid road levy which has never been refunded.” Vandalism

too “continued to haunt the company.” Even added: “Our role is

to work hard and plan while the government should support us

with the right policies.”

Less than a year down the line - in September 2012 - the new

government cancelled RSZ’s 20-year concession. Within 24 hours,

Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) managing director Knox Karima

was promising an impressive turnaround for the system under

state control. In November it was announced that Karima had

been “retired in the national interest”, with Professor Clive Chirwa

appointed CEO. In late April 2013, the professor’s much publicised

grand plans for ZRL ran into all sorts of trouble. Zambian President

Michael Sata suddenly sent the railway’s entire board packing and

suspended Chirwa on half pay while allegations of corruption are

investigated. The auditor-general is also having a go.

Press comment drew attention to the President’s unilateral

appointment of Professor Chirwa, disregarding conventional

recruiting and interviewing procedures. Commentators suggested

that other potential candidates for the position – had they had the

opportunity to apply - might have had more impressive experience

in running a railway, Chirwa being an aerospace engineering

consultant.

HINDSIGHT: LESSONS FROM THE ZAMBIAN CONCESSION

“Guy says his great-great-grandfather’s land was taken from him to build

the colonialist railway. Refuses to remove his cows – says his claim to get

the land back is sub-judice.”

From Railways Africa’s correspondent in San Francisco:

* “We recently saw an article about the 2011 South

African census.

* Total population: 52 million

* Children under fi ve: 11 million

* Mobile phone ownership: 47 million

(90% of total population)

“Which seems to imply that six million mobile phones are

owned by children under fi ve”.



look to young Zambian engineers in leading the project. This is a

new approach, the Times observed: “Over the years, Zambia has

relied much on the technological powerhouse of the Chinese

government in major construction projects like roads and even

the same Zambia Railways. Now Professor Chirwa feels otherwise.”

The paper applauded the professor’s assurance that all materials

required for reconstruction would be locally sourced and

manufactured. “It looks like a huge dream” the Times concluded.

“Professor Chirwa seems to have put pen to paper; all that is

remaining is implementation.”

AUDITOR-GENERAL ON CONSULTANTSIn October 2009, South African minister of fi nance Pravin

Gordhan said government departments must trim consultancy,

entertainment, conference and travel expenses. The instruction

appears to have been ignored. Early in 2013, the auditor-general

slammed government departments for the extent to which they

have been using consultants. During the past year, R33.5 billion

[billion, not million] was paid to consultants who amongst other

things developed media monitoring projects, planted trees, offered

basic adult education to police offi cers and audited staff skills - all

tasks that could have been done by public servants in the course

of duties for which they are paid salaries. A question-mark hangs

over the ability of staff who have been appointed without the

necessary skills to perform basic departmentalfunctions.

The Department of Transport was singled out for spending

R14.3 million on consultants to manage the October “Transport

Month” campaign.

would take place. Nine groups or modules were to be created,

each responsible for reconstructing 100 kilometres of line, with a

three-shift schedule covering 24 hours, seven days a week.

PRESS COMMENT ON CHIRWA’S PLANSSeemingly sceptical about Zambian Railways Limited (ZRL) CEO

Clive Chirwa’s elaborate plans to turn the system around, the

Times of Zambia suggested “the plans would not leave one without

a speculative mind on how he hopes to accomplish this entire

enormous dream. “

The paper noted the professor’s assertion that revamping the

entire railway – and electrifying it – in three years would create

10,000 jobs, mainly for Zambian youth. It was also intended to

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Railway Systems of Zambia, whose 20-year concession was cancelled by

the government in September 2012, faced huge problems reviving the run-

down line it inherited. Photo (2006): Dietmar Fiedel.


ANGOLAEVENING TRAINS AT LUANDACaminhos de ferro de Luanda (CFL) has introduced four evening

commuter trains. The new service, CFL’s commercial director

Isaac Mateus explains, is aimed largely at students who live in

Viana and study in the city centre of Luanda. The last trains depart

simultaneously at 22:30 from Baia to Bungo and from Bungo to Baia.

BOTSWANABOTSWANA COAL HEADS TO DURBANAccording to Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) executive manager for

international business Nyameka Madikizela, the railway is expected

to begin carrying coal from the Morupule Colliery near Palapye in

Botswana to Durban during May. In terms of an agreement being

signed with Botswana, three 35-wagon trains are to run weekly.

Two of these will be made up of TFR wagons and one using

Botswana rolling stock. It is planned to have six trains running

per week by August/September 2013. Successful test runs were

made during April.

It is intended to use Botswana Railways diesel locomotives as far

as Krugersdorp and TFR electric power from there. In the longer

term, the line west of Krugersdorp may be relaid to raise the

permissible axle loading from 18.5 tons to Transnet’s standard

26 tons, Madikizela says. This would permit the use of TFR’s

heavier locos.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT IN LUBUMBASHIThe national railways of Tanzania, Zambia and the Democratic

Republic of Congo (DRC) have entered into a tripartite agreement

to “harmonise” operations, in order to facilitate “smooth and

seamless transport of goods and passengers”. Acting managing

director of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara)

Dr Damas Ndumbaro, Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) managing

director Professor Clive Chirwa, and Société Nationale des

Chemins de fer du Congo (SNCC) acting director-general Vincent

Tshiongo Ngalula signed the agreement in Lubumbashi.

Viaduct at Lengue Gorge. Photo: Anton van Schalkwyk.

Artist’s impression of station at Luau, Caminhos de ferro de Benguela,

15km from the DRC border. Photo: Anton van Schalkwyk.

Luau station, nearly fi nished, in May 2013. Photo: Anton van Schalkwyk.

AFRICA STILL MOST COSTLY FOR FREIGHT TRANSPORTTransporting freight on the continent of Africa is now four times more expensive than in other parts of

the world. This assertion was made during a panel discussion at the Breakbulk Africa Congress 2013,

held in Cape Town during April. An important underlying reason is the lack of infrastructural development.

It was noted that most African governments lack the funds needed for capital-intensive projects, which

means that dependence on private sector investment is inevitable. Unfortunately, a perception that African

governments are not prepared to address the situation makes it diffi cult to convince the private sector to invest. The

panel highlighted the defi ciency of railway infrastructure in most African countries and the absence of rail linkage

across the borders between most countries.


AFRICA UPDATEAFRICA UPDATE

AFRICA UPDATE

in the Democratic Republic of Congo - DRC) as part of a leasing

package funded by the World Bank. Fitted with 1,000hp EMD 8-645

engines, they will probably be used on shunting and trip work.

EGYPTTHALES WINS CAIRO-ALEXANDRIA SIGNALS UPGRADEAccording to a “high-ranking source” quoted by Egypt’s Daily News,

the France-based Thales Group has won a bid to instal electric

signalling along the Cairo-Alexandria line at an estimated cost of

$US270 million. The Egyptian National Railways Authority (ENR) is

to fund the project through a World Bank loan. Another bid is to

be invited soon in respect of electric signal installation along the

Beni Suef to Assiut line, at an estimated cost of $330m. Director of

the offi ce of the ENR president Magdi Musa is quoted saying that

so far some $19.5m has been spent on installing electric signalling.

The agreement defi nes how the three railways are to collaborate

and interact with each other in the conveying of goods and

passengers through each other’s railway network without re-

marshalling and transshipment. According to a joint communiqué

issued afterwards, they said: “We have come to a mutual

understanding on all the technical parameters regarding our

respective operations and provided for continuous consultations

through regular interchange meetings for the entire period of

the agreement.

“Cargo can now move in either direction and all the way from Dar

es Salaam to New Kapiri-Mposhi and Lubumbashi and vice versa

without necessarily transshipping, remarshalling or complications

of any kind.”

COPPER TO DURBANAccording to Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) executive manager for

international business Nyameka Madikizela, it had been hoped to

sign an important “North-South Corridor agreement” in February

but talks were taking longer than expected. In terms of the intended

arrangement, “millions of tons” of copper mined in the Democratic

Republic of Congo (as well as Zambia) will be carried by rail to the

port of Durban, a journey the best part of 2,000km. If the Tanzam

Railway to Dar es Salaam were able to handle this traffi c, the

journey would be some 400km shorter.

EX-QUEENSLAND LOCOS FOR SNCC [Information from Dr J N Middleton]:RRL in South Africa have bought six 62.5 tonne locos built by

GM-Clyde 1ib 967-70 for very light axle-load (10.4 ton) rural branch-

line use in Australia’s Queensland. They are going to Société

Nationale des Chemins de fer Congolais (SNCC – the state railway

For main-line use, RRL is supplying ex Queensland 2600 series locos which

are being renumbered SNCC 2201 upwards. Photo: Les Bray.

AFRICA UPDATE


KUWAITI HELP FOR EGYPTKuwait is providing $US100 million in assistance for the developing

of Egypt’s railways. According to the Egypt State Information Service,

Kuwaiti Ambassador in Cairo Rashid Al Hamad has stressed the

depth of “brotherly relations” binding Egypt and Kuwait. He said he

expects an increase in the coming months in Kuwaiti investments

in Egypt, which stand currently at some E£16.5 billion.

EGYPTIAN TRAIN SERVICES RESUMEViolence erupted throughout Egypt on 9 March, following the

release of the Port Said stadium massacre verdict. In Cairo, three

protesters were killed in clashes with the police and the police club

in Gezira was set on fi re, as were the nearby offi ces of the Egyptian

Football Association. Protesters from the Ultras Ahlawy hardcore

football fans in Qalubiya stood on the railway in Banha, halting all

train movement. Altogether some 31 trains were affected on the

Cairo-Alexandria line, but by Sunday morning 10 March, services

had returned to normal.

BUSES REPLACE TRAINS IN EGYPTOn 8 April, buses substituted for passenger trains in Egypt, where

a strike by locomotive drivers brought all services to a standstill.

The staff were protesting a government decision to limit increases

in an allowance to 10%. The independent syndicate for train staff

announced its “complete solidarity” with the drivers’ demands

for better conditions. Rail traffi c was operating at about 60% of

normal by 10 April. In the East Delta area, full service had resumed,

according to the state information service in Cairo, quoting

Egyptian National Railways Authority (ENR) head Hussein Zakaria.

He explained that drivers had returned to work after receiving

promises of improved pay and working conditions. A committee

was being formed to look into wage and bonus restructuring.

ETHIOPIAETHIOPIA: ADDIS LIGHT RAILWAY According to Addis Fortune, published in Addis Ababa, the Metals

& Engineering Corporation (MetEC) has completed assembly of

a prototype train for the light rail project in the capital. MetEC

manufactured the bodywork, the undercarriage and bogies being

imported from the Danubian Aircraft Company (DAC), a Hungarian

corporation that specialises in “the overhaul and upgrading of

helicopters and the manufacture of metallic components”. DAC,

which has worked with MetEC previously, is to provide “expert

assistance in the production of tracks” for the project, which is

being overseen by the Ethiopian Railway Corporation.

Construction of the 1,435mm gauge Addis light railway, which is

expected to carry 80,000 passengers an hour, began in January

2012 at an estimated cost of $US475 million. The government

announced in mid-April that the project was 25% complete. The

three lines comprise a 17.2km route from Defence Forces Hospital

to Ayat Village, another of 16.2km from Meskel Square to Kality, and

a link from Lideta to Menilik Square. China Railway Group Limited

(CREG) holds the contract for tracklaying and MetEC is responsible

for supplying the track material and rolling stock. Completion is

expected in 2016.

Additional lines to Shiro Meda in the north, Gelan in the south and

to Lebu in the south-west, are envisaged at a later stage.

ETHIOPIAN NATIONAL RAIL PROJECTThe Ethiopian Railway Corporation is overseeing construction of the

4,744km national railway project, which comprises eight corridors

criss-crossing the country. The track and rolling stock is to be

imported from a Chinese company.

The existing railway from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to the

Red Sea port of Djibouti is currently being replaced with a $US2.8

billion, 1,435mm gauge electrifi ed line by two Chinese concerns.

Turkish and Brazilian companies are to construct other segments

of the national network which aims to create a series of key trade

routes to neighbouring Kenya, Sudan and South Sudan, as well

as Djibouti.

KENYANEW SYSTEM AT RIFT VALLEY RAILWAYS Rift Valley Railways (RVR) has invested in SAP, which is described

as an enterprise resource planning (ERP) tool. SAP ERP consists of

several modules, including utilities for marketing and sales, fi eld

service, product design and development, production and inventory

control, human resources, fi nance and accounting. SAP ERP

collects and combines data from the separate modules to provide

the client with enterprise resource planning.

RVR’s $US4 million SAP ERP project was funded by the World Bank,

supported by Aegis, an india-based company which will train staff,

instal and execute the system. Personnel went through intensive

training from August 2012 to January 2013, mainly in the areas

rolling stock management, quality management, human resource

management, fi nance and accounting, controlling and supply

chain management.

SAUDIARABIA

ASWAN DAM

JORDAN

ISR

AE

L

SUDAN

EGYPT

C AIRO

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

Addis Ababa station, Ethiopia. Photo: Dietmar Fiedel.


AFRICA UPDATE

RVR selected SAP ERP as part of its fi ve-year turnaround programme.

Other projects include the overhaul of 365 wagons through a KFW

grant (149 wagons rehabilitated to date), the overhaul of eight

locomotives, replacement of 70km of rail between Mombasa and

Nairobi (48km completed to date) and repair of nine major culverts

between Busembatia and Jinja in Uganda (almost complete) and

rehabilitation of Uganda’s Tororo-Pakwach line.

MOROCCOANSALDO SIGNALS FOR MOROCCO A contract to design and supply signalling, telecommunications and

a control traffi c centre for Morocco’s new 183km high-speed line

has been awarded to a consortium comprising Ansaldo STS and

Cofely Ineo. Ansaldo STS will cover all phases of signalling

implementation from design to integration and commissioning,

as well as providing the telecommunication equipment, “next

generation” interlocking, track circuits, ERTMS Level 1 & 21-based

automatic train control and train protection, also the traffi c control

centre located in Rabat. Cofely Ineo will provide the wayside

equipment as well as power supply and cable networks. Its

engineering offi ce will provide all plans required for the installation

of “complex and critical systems”. The contract awarded by Offi ce

National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF – the Moroccan state railway),

is worth some €120 million. The new high-speed railway connects

the cities of Tangiers and Kenitra.

MOZAMBIQUEMOZAMBIQUE COAL EXPORTS RESUMEFollowing heavy rains in mid-February in Mozambique, serious

washaways resulted in an embargo on coal traffi c by rail from

Moatize, destined via the Sena Line to the port of Beira. The

prominent Brazilian Vale mining company said the declaration of

force majeure affected the shipment of about 500,000 metric tons

of coal. The Sena Line is currently Vale’s only export route to the

sea. The line eventually reopened and coal traffi c is fl owing normally.

NAMIBIATRANSNAMIB’S FINANCIAL HEADACHESIn a forthright article, Edgar Brandt of New Era, published in

Windhoek, itemised problems facing Namibia’s state railway

TransNamib. In terms of this year’s vote in the latest national

budget, he writes, the Treasury has allocated N$165 million for

rehabilitating the Aus-Luderitz line and N$237.2 million for new

rails and ballast for use mainly on rehabilitating the lines from

Kranzberg to Otjiwarongo and Tsumeb, and between Windhoek and

Walvis Bay. Speed restrictions as low as 15 to 20km/h are in force

along some sections of the Tsumeb line and passenger traffi c has

been halted due to safety concerns. TransNamib Secretary Eugenia

Tjaronda listed some of the other problems currently faced.

Modern standards in the Southern African Development Community

(Sadc), she pointed out, require railways suited to 18.5 ton axle

loading. Normally this is attained using 48kg/m rails welded in

continuous lengths and supported on well-ballasted concrete

sleepers. In Namibia at present, only 1,263km, ie 47% of the total

2,688km route distance, complies with this standard, Tjaronda said.

Of this 1,263 km, 855km were carried out prior to 1988. Since

then, TransNamib has only upgraded 100km, but the Namibian

government did construct the new railway northern extension

(308km) at this standard. Most of the remaining network is

restricted to 16.5 ton axle loading, though some sections have

loading restrictions as low as 13.5 tons.

Brandt quotes Tjaronda explaining, “It costs between N$3 and

5 million to rehabilitate one kilometre of line, but the government

has been contributing only N$1 million annually for line rehabilitation

and maintenance.”

The rolling stock and locomotive fl eet is old, Tjaronda pointed out.

“For example, the GE locomotives, which compromise over 85% of

the active motive power, average more than 45 years in age.”

SOUTH AFRICA

N A M I B I A

A N G O L A

WINDHOEK

To Cassinga

Oshakati Oshikango

Ondangwa

Tsumeb

Oshivelo

Otavi

Outjo

Grootfontein

Otjiwarongo

OkahandjaKranzberg

Usakos

Rehoboth

Mariental

Keetmanshoop

Seeheim Seeheim NorthKolmanskop

Lüderitz

BogenfelsKarasburg

Oranjemund

N

0 250 km

Nakop

ToUpington

Gobabis

AT

LA

NT

I C O

CE

AN

SwakopmundWalvis Bay

To Katima Mulilo

BO

TS

WA

NA

GE U20C diesel – former South African class 33. Still the mainstay of the

TransNamib fl eet, these locos are more than 40 years old.

Photo: John Batwell.


AFRICA UPDATE

six months to 20,000 a day with 18 trains. Considering that this is

a corridor with an estimated footprint of 2 million passenger trips

per day, it is clear that the NRC’s mass transit efforts would yield

minimal impact on traffi c congestion in the Lagos area as most

journeys would still be made by road. Worse is that at [a fare of]

N120 or so per trip, it is impossible to ever make a profi t and

sustain the service in the long run. Images in the media of NRC

passengers dangerously clinging to the sides or sitting atop moving

trains is reminiscent of the molues [minibuses] that Lagos is

phasing out. Should this be what passes for rail transportation

in modern day Nigeria in the year of our lord, 2012? In any case,

with the Lagos light rail planning to run modern passenger trains

on this route, there is really no future for the current NRC mass

transit service along this corridor. So why not focus on freight

which will generate far more revenues and make the roads safer

for passengers?”

“STEAM FILLS KANO STATION”The eminent British weekly The Economist recently reported

Nigeria’s reopening of the Lagos-Kano main-line. In a colourful

description of the scene, it wrote in vol 406 no 8822 dated 9-15

February 2013: “Brakes let out a deafening screech and steam fi lls

the station as the Lagos-Kano train ends its 30-hour journey….

Hundreds of passengers emerge wearily from brightly painted

yellow, green and white carriages. It may be sweaty, crowded and

very late… “

“Steam?” asks Railways Africa’s surprised San Francisco

correspondent. “What is Nigeria using for motive power if not those

nice new GE diesels I read about in Railways Africa? Resurrected

steam engines? Or maybe this equatorial nation is using steam to

heat its trains - no wonder the passengers are sweaty”.

He adds: “I found a few pictures of Kano Station on Google. It

looks as if the tracks are open to the sky, with just some canopies

along the platforms. It must be quite diffi cult to fi ll that station

with steam”.

AIRCON TRAINS FOR NIGERIANigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) managing director Adeseyi

Sijuade says air-conditioned trains are to be introduced in Nigeria

during 2013. He told the media: “We plan to introduce the new

modern air-conditioned coaches. In terms of security there would

be no cause for alarm as the corporation would ensure the safety

of lives and the property of customers.”

N$62M NAMIBIAN AUS-LÜDERITZ TENDER IN HIGH COURT According to press reports, the fi rm Profi le Investments formed

a joint venture, Profi le-VAE, with the South African company

voestalpine VAE SA. Profi le-VAE submitted a tender for upgrading

the Aus-Lüderitz railway, including the procuring and delivery

of rails. In November 2012, the Namibian transport ministry

recommended to the Tender Board that Profi le-VAE be awarded

the N$62 million contract. Some weeks later, citing irregularities

during the procurement process (one of them relating to a confl ict

of interests), the ministry reversed its view. Late in April, the High

Court in Windhoek heard an action brought by Profi le Investments

owner Veino Nghipondoka against Tender Board chairman Ericah

Shafudah and works and transport minister Erkki Nghimtina.

Profi le Investments alleges that an offi cial in the ministry of works

leaked confi dential information to their competitor. Permanent

secretary in the ministry Peter Mwatile claimed that the consultant

appointed for the project was also the principal agent for D&M,

which Profi le-VAE SA had subcontracted to do some of the work.

The consultant allegedly designed the tender in such a way that it

favoured Profi le-VAE. The action continues.

TRANSNAMIB’S N$816,000 PAY-OUT In 2009, TransNamib CEO Titus Haimbili appointed Albertus

!Naruseb as general manager of human resources. Haimbili was

subsequently accused of “irregularly and improperly” appointing

!Naruseb, following claims that other candidates interviewed had

been “leapfrogged” and that he and !Naruseb are brothers-in-law.

Haimbili, who denied the allegations, was found “not guilty” by a

disciplinary committee.

In May 2011, lawyer Richard Metcalfe, chairing TransNamib

disciplinary hearings against !Naruseb, found him guilty on three

out of 24 counts of alleged corruption and misuse of a company

credit card, including “non-compliance with company policies.” In

July 2011, !Naruseb was fi red by CEO Haimbili, on instruction by

the board.

Namibia’s Offi ce of the Labour Commissioner recently found the

manner of !Naruseb’s dismissal “wrong and unjustifi ed by law” and

ordered TransNamib to compensate him. Arbitrator Moses Shitaleni

ordered TransNamib to pay !Naruseb N$816,000 - equivalent to 12

months’ salary. Shitaleni ruled that for the decision of !Naruseb’s

dismissal to have come directly from the board, and not from the

recommendations of the chairperson of the disciplinary committee,

was unjustifi ed and in his view violated the applicant’s right to a

fair hearing.

[Based on press reports]

NIGERIA“NO FUTURE FOR NRC AT LAGOS”Bethlehem Rail Infrastructure Limited managing

director Rowland Ataguba, who chairs the Nigerian

economic summit group (Nesg) infrastructure

policy commission rail work-group and is

principal consultant of the Canac-PSO Alliance,

commented on the Nigerian Railway Corporation

(NRC) in a recent letter to the Nigerian press:

“A further strategic imponderable is the NRC’s insistence on

operating the loss-making mass transit service. The NRC recently

crowed that it was carrying what is but a paltry 14,000 passengers

a day in the Lagos axis which it hopes to increase over the next

Rowland Ataguba.


AFRICA UPDATE

the Tanzania Daily News that informal traders doing business too

close to the track in the Buguruni kwa Mnyamani area are putting

themselves and train operation in danger. It takes time to stop

a moving train, he pointed out, and drivers are not able to wait

until people get themselves out of the way.

$US330 MILLION ON TANZANIAN RAILWAYSThe current $US330 million upgrade of Tanzania’s metre-gauge

railway includes its conversion to 1,435mm gauge, transport

minister Harrison Mwakyembe confi rms. The East African quotes

him explaining that this is to bring the railway “in line with other

networks across central and Southern Africa”. An important

objective is the ability to move 35 million tonnes of freight annually

to Rwanda, Burundi, parts of Uganda and the eastern Democratic

Republic of Congo (DRC). The minister says $3.7 million has been

Talking about the recently rehabilitated main-line from Lagos to

Kano, Sijuade said the project had cost N24.3 billion. The 488km

Lagos-Jebba section accounted for N12.1 billion, and the 638km

from Jebba to Kano, N12. 2 billion”. All this work was completed

within budget.

NIGERIA TRAINING DRIVERSSpeaking at the recent Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC)

Permanent-way Training School graduation function in Zaria,

administration and human resources director Dr Aminu Gusau

told 31 new locomotive drivers: “Do not hesitate to ask questions

from those you meet on the job. Learn from them in order to gain

practical skills to move the corporation forward.” Gusau described

NRC as the “root of civilisation in Nigeria”. The unifi cation of the

nation, he was quoted saying, started from the corporation.

ROOF-RIDERS IN NIGERIANigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) managing director Adeseye

Sijuade, interviewed recently by This Day’s John Iwori and Sunday

Okobi, agreed that overcrowding is a severe problem on commuter

trains serving Lagos. Passengers hang onto open doors and

travel on carriage roofs. The situation worsened recently, Sijuade

explained, following the authorities banning the operation of

“Okada” motorcycle transport in the city.

NRC is making every effort to alleviate the problem by renovating

unserviceable coaches and returning them to service. More than 200

coaches and wagons resumed service during the past two years.

TANZANIATANZANIAN SERVICES RESUMEIn 22 April, Tanzania Railways Limited (TRL) resumed commuter

train service between Dar es Salaam and Ubungo. The operation

was suspended following infrastructural damage caused by heavy

rain. According to TRL spokesman Midladjy Maez, fares remain

at 400 shillings for adults and 100 shillings for students. He told

Bujumbura

TangaMuheza

Kilosa

Manyoni

SingidaKaliua

Mpanda

Moshi

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AFRICA UPDATE

spent so far in renovating the existing network, which includes an

order for rolling stock expected to arrive by June. This includes 274

passenger coaches, 22 locomotives and other items.

[Surely conversion to 1,435mm gauge will achieve the opposite of the

objective? Neighbouring Zambia, as well as Zimbabwe, Botswana,

the DRC, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia and South Africa all use

1,067 mm gauge. - Editor: Railways Africa]

FARES IN TANZANIANew fares applicable to Tanzania Railways Limited (TRL) as approved

by Tanzania’s Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority

(Sumatra) are as follows:

First class (25% increase):

• Dar es Salaam to Morogoro 21,100/- (was16,852/-)

• Dar es Salaam to Dodoma 34,700/- (was 27,788/-)

• Dar es Salaam to Tabora 54,800/- (was 43,859/- ).

Second class (25% increase):

• Dar es Salaam to Morogoro 16,600/- (was13,280/-)

• Dar es Salaam to Dodoma 26.400/- (was 21,092/-)


Third class (44.1% increase):

• Dar es Salaam to Morogoro 8,800/- (was 6,138/-)

• Dar es Salaam to Dodoma 13,500/- (was 9.374/-)


The Sumatra board has asked TRL to improve its internal revenue

control within three months and to improve passenger services. In

addition TRL has been requested to adopt a passenger management

information system and to simplify ticketing and revenue collection

from passengers within a year.

TAZARAPROBLEMS WITH CHINESE LOCOS AT TAZARAReportedly the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) had nine

operable locomotives. In terms of the 14th Protocol of Economic

and Technical Co-operation signed by the governments of China,

Tanzania and Zambia in December 2009, a loan of $US39 million

was granted to Tazara. Of this, $24 million was spent on six new

3,000hp diesel-electric locomotives. According to press reports,

various technical problems have been experienced with these

SDD20 units, delivered by CSR late in 2012. Almost six months

later, none is currently in service.

Tanzanian minister for transport Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, quoted

by The East African, said a Chinese company won the tender to

supply the locomotives. He told the paper: “I have been told about

the technical problems, but you need to speak to our technicians

and engineers who would be in a better position to explain in detail

the technical problems. It appears the engines can’t cope with

the Tazara terrain.” The manufacturer is “facing challenges in putting

the new locomotives into operation”, Tazara head of public relations

Conrad K Simuchile told The East African, adding there is no need

“at this stage to be overly concerned because the locomotives are

going through a normal trial process after delivery....and they are

still fully in the hands of the manufacturer, who has ample time to

rectify the defects, if any.”

According to a statement issued by GE-Africa media relations

manager Thulisile Thuli Phiri, the locomotives were supplied by

CSR Qishuyan Locomotive Company Ltd (CSR QSY) in China.

“GE supplied engines for the locomotives and no technical issues

were reported on the engines. GE is committed to working with

its partners CSR QSY and Tazara to resolve any technical challenges

related to any of the GE components supplied. The GE team will

continue to conduct trial runs for the locomotives. GE will resolve

traction motor-related issues on units 3001 and 3006 and also

perform trial runs for units 3002 due to pass tests this month

[May 2013], and will also investigate the causes of the technical

failures on the traction motors and provide a containment solution

while continuing to work with QSY and Tazara to test the rest of the

units to minimise impact.”

ACTING MD AT TAZARAAccording to Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) public

relations head Conrad Simuchile, the board of directors has

appointed Ronald Phiri as acting managing director for three

months. The three-year contract of previous MD Akashambatwa

Mbikusita-Lewanika expired in February but was not renewed.

Chairman Dr Muyenga Atanga explains that Phiri, himself a member

of the board, has more than 31 years’ service in the mining sector.

Atanga, who is permanent secretary in the ministry of transport,

works, supply and communications, said the board “searched

extensively” for someone with understanding of the challenges

facing Tazara. A longer term appointment would follow the

identifying of a suitable candidate in due course.

TAZARA DELIVERSOn 24 April, Dar es Salaam’s Tanzania Daily News reported that

the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) accomplished

the delivery of more than 7,500 metric tonnes of freight in the

preceding fi ve days. This followed the resumption of freight and

passenger services. both suspended on 10 April when the line

was blocked some 64km west of Dar es Salaam. This was caused

by the capsizing of a crane sent to recover wagons that went off

the line in an earlier derailment.

SDD20 3,000hp loco, similar to that supplied by CSR QSY to Tazara in

December 2012.

Chingola

Lumbo

DODOMA

Copperbelt

Lake Tanganyika

Lake

Mal

awi

Cabora BassaZambezi RiverKafue River


AFRICA UPDATE

given of likely timeframes for actual construction. According to the

paper, “The challenge is now for the initiators of the multi-million

dollar project to move quickly … They should not come up with an

excuse of lack of funds because the Zambian Government is ready

to support this ambitious project.”

ZIMBABWERAILWAY PAY CUTS PROPOSED IN ZIMBABWEThe National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) last paid its staff full

wages last May, ie 13 months ago. On 11 April 2013, a memo

signed by general manager Air Commodore (retd) Mike Karakadzai

proposed that workers be paid between 50 and 75% of their

salaries from the end of April, depending on their grades, with the

lowest grades getting the lowest percentage. It was envisaged that

the lowest paid employee would get “at least $150” every month.

According to the NRZ memo, “the arrangement is designed to

enable workers to at least pay rent and other bills”. Press reports

suggested the employees were unhappy with the proposal. It

dealt only with the future, they pointed out, but not the “massive”

salary backlog.

The memo went on:

“This suggestion was considered by management as reasonable

and meriting development. To this end, management convened

a consultative meeting with labour on 2 April 2013, whereat the

concept of creating predictability for the payment of a portion

of employees’ net salaries with balance being parked as liability

was discussed.

“In addition to the concept, management tabled a schedule

giving typical payment scenario premised on the distribution of

$2,7 million towards the payment of between 50 and 75% of

employees’ monthly net salaries (depending on the employee’s

grade) on the 30th of every month.”

It was the second major disruption suffered by Tazara in three

weeks, the paper recalled, the fi rst (during March) due to washaways

following “persistent rains and fl ooding in the mountainous region

of Mlimba in Tanzania”.

Tazara public relations head Conrad Simuchile said in a statement

that 3,624.50 metric tonnes of copper and 2,980.60 metric tonnes

of maize comprised the bulk of the cargo delivered to Dar es

Salaam. “Other commodities delivered to Mbeya and New Kapiri

Mposhi between 17 and 24 April included fuel and sulphur

concentrates.”

Both the Mukuba and Kilimanjaro Express passenger trains are

running on time between Dar es Salaam and New Kapiri Mposhi

in Zambia.

UGANDAPROGRESS ON PAKWACH LINEIn December 2012, Rift Valley Railways (RVR), the concessionaire

managing the Kenya and Uganda railways, engaged Kato

contractors, a Uganda-based company, to rehabilitate the 500km

Tororo-Pakwach line in northern Uganda at an estimated cost of

$US2 million. The fi rst phase of the work has been completed,

involving the clearance of bushes, weeding and the removal of

anthills

According to a recent RVR press statement, “Work on the second

phase has commenced, which involves restoration of washed-out

areas due to fl ooding and installation of new culverts which have

been successfully fi xed at Awoja, with four barrels of 1.2m diameter

culverts, back-fi lling and re-railing the track.”

RVR general manager Mark Rumanyika expects the line to be in

operation by the end of August 2013.

ZAMBIAZAMBIA: NORTH-WEST RAILWAY PROJECT PROGRESSESAccording to the Times of Zambia, “good progress” is being made

with the north-western rail project. This envisages a new line

running west from Chingola by way of Solwezi to the border with

Angola, from where it is to be extended to connect with Caminhos

de ferro de Benguela (CFB). This would provide Zambia with a rail

link to the Atlantic at Lobito. In all about 700km of new railway

is involved. The Times provided no detail of work done to date

(presumably this is concerned with planning) and no indication was

N50 100 150

KM

RWANDA TANZANIA

SOUTH SUDAN

UGANDA

DRCPakwach

LakeAlbert

Kasese

LakeEdward

KENYA

Malaba

TororoKampala

LakeVictoria

GuluLira

Mbale

Soroti

ZAMBIA

ANGOLA

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

BOTSWANA

ZIMBABWE

MOZAMBIQUE

MA

LAW

I

Monze

Choma

Kwekwe

Gweru

Mutare

Marondera

Tete

Chipata Mchinji

Odzi

Hwange

ChingolaKitwe

KolweziDiloloLuau

Luanshya

Mazabuka

Ndola

Kabwe

LUSAKA

LILONGWE

HARARE

Kapiri Mposhi

LivingstoneCAPRIVI

STRIP

OkavangoDelta

Lake Kariba

Kariba Dam

Proposed North-Western Railway

Cabora Bassa

Mulobezi

Senanga

Kazungula

Kafue

NAMIBIA

Lubumbashi

Loco 395, 15th class, heads a 2013 Valentines Day special operated by the

National Railways of Zimbabwe. Photo: Chas Rickwood.


AFRICA UPDATEAFRICA UPDATE

manufacturer – dual-voltage, too – are to

be assembled by TE, as will a fl eet of 3,600

commuter coaches for the Passenger Rail

Agency of South Africa (Prasa) in terms

of the contract recently signed with the

Gibela Rail consortium.

DAYLIGHT DURBAN-JBG TRAIN As from 26 April 2013, Shosholoza

Meyl introduced a daytime passenger

train departing from Johannesburg on

Fridays at 07:00, arriving in Durban at

20:30. The return working is on Sundays,

leaving Durban at 07:25 and arriving in

Johannesburg at 20:30. It has been many

years since a scheduled passenger train

ran during daylight through the scenic

Drakensberg and northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Ashley Peter points out: “Although the

intention is to run this train on a weekly

basis, unfortunately this will not be

possible due to the double-line occupations

LOCOS & ROLLING STOCK FROM TRANSNET ENGINEERING At its Koedoespoort (Pretoria) main

works, Transnet Engineering (TE - formerly

Transnet Rail Engineering), in addition

to assembling class 43 diesel-electric

locomotives in association with General

Electric, is developing a prototype diesel

short-haul and shunting loco suited to

conditions on the continent, notably on the

widely-used 1,067mm gauge. Together with

wagons being supplied to neighbouring

countries, such as coal mining concerns

in Mozambique, the product should boost

orders from outside Transnet itself, already

totalling some R850 million in the fi nancial

year ended March 2013. New contracts

from Transnet due for award in the near

future include 465 new diesel-electric and

599 dual-voltage electric locos, all to be

assembled in partnership with an OEM

supplier at TE plants. Similarly, 85 of an

order for 95 electric locos from a Chinese

South Africa’s prestigious Blue Train has

undergone a number of upgrades including

refurbishment of the interiors, improved

technology and revamped critical safety

components. These include the air-cushion

suspension and braking systems, as well as

the fi re and smoke detectors.

Interior work comprised refurbishment

of the décor, reupholstering the furniture

and recarpeting the entire train. The staff

coach has been revamped and fi tted with

an entertainment system, recognising that

on-board personnel are away from home for

more than three days every week.

The on-board entertainment system now

provides a wider variety of movies and

music. Guests can rewind, pause and skip

from one movie to the next - an option that

was not available previously, when fi lms

were automatically programmed.

The driver’s-eye-view camera system,

displayed both in guests’ suites and

the club car (smoking lounge) has been

upgraded and the train is now equipped

with wi-fi throughout. New and improved

butler mobile phones have been introduced

to provide effective communication and

easy availability.

At the same time, the exterior of the train

has been repainted to ensure a new look

and feel.

Other developments under way include

redesign and development of the Blue

Train website and reservations facility. An

improved GPS system is in the pipeline, to

identify the areas traversed and provide text

and audio commentary. These additional

upgrades are expected to be complete in

approximately six months.South Africa’s Blue Train, adjudged the World’s Leading Luxury Train for 2009, 2010 and 2011 at the

World Travel Awards, has .been extensively revamped. Dual-voltage class 14E locomotives handle the

entire 1,600km journey from Pretoria to Cape Town. Photo: Jacque Wepener.

BLUE TRAIN UPGRADE

which take place on the Natcor line once

a month. The train will therefore run

three times per month, but not during the

weekend when the double-line occupation

occurs.”

POSTMASBURG-KAMFERSDAM SIGNALLING UPGRADEA R90 million contract to upgrade the

signalling between Kamfersdam (on

the main-line north of Kimberley) and

Postmasburg, on the line to Sishen and

Hotazel, was commenced in September

2011 and completed two months ahead of

schedule in October 2012.

The old block system, using copper cabling,

had been in operation for close on 50

years. In its place, Actom Signalling

installed a modern optic-fi bre cable system,

with axle-counter equipment incorporating

failsafe data transmission (FSDT). The

existing CS90 remote control system was


RAIL NEWSSOUTH AFRICAN

SA RAIL NEWS

upgraded to interface the new system with the old interlocking

that continues to operate at all stations.

Actom Signalling’s contracts manager Gerrie Coetzer explained:

“Among diffi culties faced were a very tight schedule for completion

of the fi rst half of the project, logistical problems arising from the

distance covered (some 200km, of which 86km required trenching),

as well as punishing working conditions, with temperatures rising

to as much as 40°C at times, and tough trenching conditions in

places.”

The contract required completion of 50% of the work within 10

months of commencement. “This part, between Kamfersdam and

Koopmansfontein, was extremely fast-track and very challenging,

but we completed it on time,” Coetzer said. “The long distances

necessitated deployment of three separate complete working

teams, each comprising trenching, cable-laying and installation

personnel, with two testing teams to serve the three sections.”

A number of “extremely rocky” trenching conditions were

encountered, notably at Barkly West, UlcoGhaap and Limeacres.

When the project started, the initial section of line at Kamfersdam

was under water, due to fl ooding from the dam. Occupation

here had to be postponed until the end of the contract period.

Despite these setbacks, on completion of the fi rst half of the

work, Transnet Capital Projects presented Actom with a 100,000

hours lost-time injury-free award.

Actom (Pty) Ltd, electro-mechanical equipment specialist, is a

black empowered company with 42 operating units, 43 production,

service and repair facilities, and 36 distribution outlets throughout

Southern Africa. Its personnel number about 7,500.

TOYOTA CARS BY TRAIN FOR EXPORT On 15 March, an epic service level agreement was signed between

Toyota SA Motors and Transnet Freight Rail (TFR). In terms of this,

the fi rst train transporting Toyota cars for export was operated on

3 April from the car terminal at Isipingo to the similar facility at the

Port of Durban, the journey taking about 50 minutes. According

to Toyota local general manager Gerhard Botha, the concept was

fi rst mooted in 2006 and has thus taken almost seven years to

implement.

Currently two trains of 12 wagons each with two car racks are

running daily Monday to Friday, ie 240 cars in total every week.

To accommodate expected increases in the required capacity, TFR

plans to procure additional wagons, suffi cient to boost weekly

totals to 1,000 cars, ie 200 every weekday.

www.railwaysafrica.com

TFR AUCTION 9 MAY 2013Pewter Bagshawe reports:

In the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) auction that ended on 9 May, all

rolling stock lots on offer were sold except for Lot 21 (a single SMLJ

wagon at Midlandia, Noupoort - for which no bid was received).

This particular wagon also failed to sell at the previous TFR auction

which included wagons (Sale 35).

The remaining wagon lots were sold at prices ranging from

R795/ton (Lot 4 - a DZJ wagon at Ogies) to R2,509/ton (Lot 7 - 37

wagons at New Brighton, Port Elizabeth). A number of Lots were

marked “Price Reduced” on the day of the sale and these went for

lower prices (R795 -R1,632/ton).

The largest lot, (Lot 9 - 97 wagons at Kimberley) realised R2.58 million

(R1,978/ton). In total the wagon sales realised over R13 million.

The friction bogies (Lot 51) realised R77,000 (R1,898/ton).

FOOTNOTE:

I recently did an exercise to fi nd out how many wagons have been

auctioned for scrap. Since March 2009 to date, TFR have held 40 auction

sales through Go-Dove (Lots 1-3: March 2009) and Lots 1-37 (June 2009-

May 2013). By my calculations, 17,177 wagons and tankcars have been

offered for sale in these auctions. However, not all wagons have been sold,

and a number have been on offer more than once. I have identifi ed 1,892

such wagons (but suspect there are a number I have missed) and this

reduces the total to 15,285. Still quite a large number! -

NEW TFR TRAIN CREW UNIFORMNew uniforms for Transnet Freight Rail crews are being issued. The

fi rst recipients were ten members of the Coal Business Unit staff

at Ermelo. Logistics manager Sizwesamantshali Mtshali handed

over the uniforms on 2 May to operations managers Christopher

Mzimba, Sipho Scheepers and Muzi Zwane. The existing TFR train

crew uniforms are to be phased out steadily.

PINETOWN LINE SIGNALLINGBellair, Malvern, Northdene and Pinetown are open for trains

working using the Van Schoor single-line token system and

mechanical semaphore signalling. Sarnia, formerly a trains-

working station, is now just a halt. The Pinetown line is the fi rst

earmarked for signalling upgrading in Kwazulu-Natal and should

be fully CTC-operated within 18 months - controlled initially from

Durban CTC, but moving later (probably in 2016) to a new Metro

CTC building at Rossburgh. Optic fi bre cabling with redundancy is

the chosen method of communication now. There are presently

30 trains a day on this line, but this may well increase if a proposed

“clockface” timetable is accepted and introduced.

- News courtesy Ashley Peter

NEW ZEALAND LOCOS TO SOUTH AFRICAFour ex-Kiwirail (New Zealand) class DQ 1,500hp Co-Co diesel

locos have been sold to an undisclosed buyer in South Africa. Units

6347 and 6382 were seen in a freight train heading north from

Wellington, bound for Auckland. They were booked to sail from

Auckland on 15 May.

According to a Wikipedia report, 6376 was damaged in a collision,

while 6324 “had worn its wheelsets down to the point where

they would need to be replaced for the locomotive to continue in

regular service”. Presumably these two locos will follow later,

though it is not clear whether it is intended to repair them prior

to export.

The four locos were built originally as part of a fl eet of 21 classed

1460 for Queensland Rail (QR) in Australia during the mid-sixties,

19 being acquired by the New Zealand operators in 1995. They

were supplied for main-line use but were not entirely satisfactory,

being relegated eventually to helper duties.

TRANSNET FACES R79BN PENSION CLAIM According to Rapport, a group of 66,000 pensioners has instituted

a civil claim to recover about R79 billion they claim Transnet

“plundered” from their pension funds. The claim was instituted

in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. According to court

papers, the “conspicuously illegal manner” in which the funds

were stripped only emerged recently when lawyers acting for the

pensioners obtained and analysed the funds’ fi nancial statements.

The funds’ most important assets, acknowledgements of debt

worth R7.7bn which generated an annual income of R1.2bn, were

apparently “swapped” in early 2001 for MTN shares, known as

M-Cell at the time, worth about R1.4bn. “There is no indication that

the funds received any income from the M-Cell shares,” one of the

lawyers involved in the matter, Leon Kellerman SC, wrote in court

papers.

Pensioner Johan Pretorius submitted in an affi davit that the fund

was plundered to improve Transnet’s balance sheet, with the

knowledge of the former ministers of public works and fi nance,

Jeff Radebe and Trevor Manuel. “About half the pensioners are

white and a third black”, according to a Sapa report. “The claim

consists of debt of about R17.1bn which the government and

Transnet acknowledged was owed to the funds when Transnet

was commercialised in 1990, with interest of 12% per year. In

addition a loss of R5.4bn is being claimed. It was incurred when

the acknowledgements of debt were swapped for shares in 2001.”

Kiwirail (New Zealand) class DQ loco 6324, one of four coming to South

Africa. Wikipedia photo.

At the historic Bellair station, 13km from Durban, the driver of a Pinetown-

bound Metrorail set receives the tablet authorising him to enter the 4km

single-line section to Malvern. This characterful scene will disappear when

CTC arrives. Photo: Editor.


SA RAIL NEWS

“Passing the Germiston line I saw 3 x class 34 (090/097/119) in the latest Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) colour scheme being towed by

3 x class 36 diesels. Apparently they had been newly painted and probably overhauled at Bloemfontein Transnet Engineering works and

were on their way to Germiston diesel depot for fi nal de-snagging and fi nishing. In the

bright African sun they looked fantastic and something TFR can be really proud of,

considering that the locos are over 40 years old.

“The challenge is for TFR to keep the locos in this condition by cleaning them on a

regular basis. Regrettably the majority of their locos are in appallingly dirty condition.

One speculates on the effect of this on drivers. How can one be proud of working

conditions if the workplace is so disgusting? Running around the country, the trains

themselves are the best advert for TFR, but what impression does a train headed by a

dirty, oddly-painted locomotive create in the eyes of a potential customer?”

The agreement encompasses:

• A technology agreement that gives Actom access to Alstom

Grid’s world-class transmission technologies, equipment

and systems.

• A manufacturing agreement enabling Actom to manufacture

specifi c Alstom Grid products, sub-assemblies and

components under licence.

• A representation agreement giving Actom exclusive

representation rights to promote, sell and support Alstom

Grid products in the Southern African region.

The agreement extends an existing partnership that spans nearly

half a century. Actom provides a range of support services for

the large installed base of products Alstom has supplied into the

Southern African market over many years.

Actom (Pty) Ltd is the largest manufacturer, repairer and distributor

of electro-mechanical equipment in Africa, employing about 7,500

people with an annual order intake in excess of R7.5bn. It is a black

empowered company with 42 operating units, 43 production,

service and repair facilities, and 36 distribution outlets throughout

Southern Africa. www.actom.co.za

Alstom is a global leader in the world of power generation, power

transmission and rail infrastructure. The group employs 92,000

people in around 100 countries. www.alstom.com

ACTOM AND ALSTOM SIGN TECHNOLOGIES AGREEMENTActom, the largest electrical engineering group in Southern Africa, and Alstom Grid, leading overseas provider of engineered solutions and products for smart and conventional power grids, signed a three-year transmission technologies cooperation agreement in Johannesburg on 23 April. Alstom Grid’s commercial vice-president for Southern Europe and Africa Eric Boulot explained: “Alstom and Actom are partners in a number of activities such as signalling, boiler services and Metro coaches in the region and this agreement will reinforce the partnership and cooperation between the two groups.”

Actom chairman of transmission & distribution Jack Rowan emphasised that his company’s focus has always been on maximising local content.

Actom manufactures a number of products under licence to its international partners wherever this proves practicable, in addition to developing

and manufacturing products of its own.

NEW PAINT: GREAT IMPRESSION Stewart Currie reports in the RSSA’s On Track:


SA RAIL NEWS

Eric Boulot (left) of Alstom Grid and Jack Rowan of ALSTOM T&D shake hands after signing the fi nal

agreement formalising the partnership .between the two groups. Looking on are ACTOM’s Group CEO and

Chairman Mark Wilson and Group Executive Director Andries Tshabalala.

GAUTRAIN PUNCTUALITYWriting about Gautrain on 8 April, the Johannesburg Star’s Anna

Cox said: “in terms of punctuality and customer satisfaction, it

beats the London tube - its UK counterpart - by far.” Cox attributed

the assertion to “what Bombela, the train’s operating company,

discovered during a study conducted between August 2011 and

March 2012”. Several papers picked up the story. Beeld quoted

Bombela spokesperson Kelebogile Machaka claiming that 98.6%

of Gautrain’s departures and arrivals are within three minutes of

scheduled time (“which is above the contractual target of 90%”).

By comparison, she said, quoting “a quarterly report by the UK rail

network, 91.3% of British trains depart and arrive on time”. This

statistic, she pointed out, was based on trains arriving or departing

within fi ve minutes of the schedule.

[Comment: The local newspaper stories are comparing Gautrain’s

80km of less-than-three years-old, new-from-scratch, mainly above-

ground railway (running brand-new rolling stock) with the London

“Tube” - a 400km, largely underground system whose infrastructure

ranges in age from 150 years to the present, with rolling stock in

intensive use for many more hours daily than is the case with Gautrain

(till 01:00, compare Gautrain 20:30.)

The actual stats quoted refer to all UK trains; it’s not clear where

the reference to the London Tube originated. The comparative

fi gures supplied by Bombela made no mention of the London “Tube”

(Underground) and did not suggest it was Gautrain’s “counterpart”.

In any event, the only fair comparison with the performance of all

Britain’s trains would be that of all South Africa’s trains – whose

punctuality is dismal. In fact, monthly UK punctuality records are

available and if one wanted to be selective,,might take one train

operator, National Express c2c, at random. During May 2011, 97.5%

of c2c’s trains ran to time “for the fourth month in a row”. It still isn’t

a fair comparison with Gautrain, because the c2c system – and its

trains - are nowhere near as new. - Editor: Railways Africa.]

NORTH-WEST PANORAMAThe busy Cape-Johannesburg main-line, caught by Jacque Wepener’s camera on 15 May. Distances shown are from Johannesburg.

When class 6E1 locos are rebuilt as 18E, the driving position at no 2 end is removed. Bloemhof scene (331km).

Forest of masts and catenary at Makwassie, 278km.

Blue Train stopped by signal near Leeubos, 243km.

Weighbridge test wagons at Leeudoringstad, 253km.

Southbound CAR wagons leaving Grasslands, 319km, after crossing a northbound ore consist behind four 10E locos. (Note that last loco’s pantographs are down.)

Interesting detail of shroud between Blue Train coaches.


SA RAIL NEWS

Act safely at level crossings

TRAINS RUN NON-STOP THROUGH PORT SAIDUnprecedented violence on 26 January in Port Said, Egypt’s fi fth

largest city, was so extreme that long-distance trains ran through

without stopping, to avoid being caught in the trouble. More

than 350 people were reported hurt, including 150 police. The

demonstrations followed the imposing of 21 death sentences in

the aftermath of 74 people dying in the course of chaos that

erupted at a soccer stadium in the city during February 2012.

In Cairo, police teargas penetrated into the underground railway,

causing great discomfort to travellers.

FLOODS DISRUPT QUEENSLAND TRAINS From Bruno Martin, 25 January:

“After a prolonged dry spell and heatwave, now the entire east

coast of Queensland is being lashed by torrential rain from ex-

tropical cyclone ‘Oswald’ that formed over the Gulf of Carpentaria

last weekend. The railway between Townsville and Cairns has been

cut by fl oodwaters, and so has the Bruce Highway in several places.

“All northbound and southbound Sunlander & Tilt Train services

from Brisbane to Cairns have been cancelled until further notice

and no alternative road transport is available. Today’s Spirit of the

Outback service terminates at Rockhampton with no alternative

road transport available to Longreach. Brisbane-Rockhampton

(electric) Tilt Train service has been cancelled until further notice

and no alternative road transport is available.

“More than 400mm of rain has been dumped on the Rockhampton

region in a 24-hour period, with heavy rainfall expected to hit

southeast Queensland by Saturday.

“Bureau of Metrology senior forecaster Brett Harrison said 469mm

of rain has been recorded south of Rockhampton since 09:00

Thursday and this amount is the heaviest across the state. A

further 300mm of water fell at Samuel Hill north of Rockhampton,

with Rockhampton recording 292mm of rain and Yeppoon copping

289mm. Rainfall in the south-east over the next four days is

expected to range from 100mm to 300mm.

“The rain fl ushed out the odd north Queensland local, including

two crocodiles seen walking on roads in Ingham.”

AMTRAK HALTED: LARGE BIRD SUSPECTEDOn 26 January, an Amtrak passenger train was delayed almost an

hour near the Cornwells Heights station in Pennsylvania after an

unidentifi ed large object struck the locomotive. Not knowing what

they had hit, the crew took time assessing the unit for possible

CANADIAN TRACKS BLOCKADEDParticipants in Canada’s “Idle No More” grassroots movement stage

almost daily protests against the government’s Bill C-45, which

they say violates treaty rights and weakens environmental laws.

Via Rail passenger trains between Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal

were disrupted on three occasions between 30 December and mid-

January by demonstrators who blockaded the tracks, sometimes for

as long as six hours.

CRASH IN EGYPT KILLS 19In the early hours of 15 January, a military train carrying young

recruits to an army camp derailed in the Giza neighbourhood of

Badrashinthe, a suburb of Cairo. At least 19 people were reported

dead and 107 injured, according to the health ministry. The train

was travelling from Upper Egypt to Cairo. In the city of Alexandria,

police fi red tear gas to disperse hundreds protesting at the lack

of train safety in the country. The demonstrators clashed with

passengers and attempted to prevent trains from leaving the main

station in the city.

FOUR DEAD IN EGYPT CROSSING SMASHFour people were reported dead on 16 January in a collision between

a train and a taxi. According to the Middle East News Agency, the

movement of trains in Upper Egypt was disrupted for some time.

Eye-witnesses were quoted saying the taxi driver managed to exit

the vehicle before it was hit.

SAUDIARABIA

ASWAN DAM

JORDAN

ISR

AE

L

SUDAN

EGYPT

C AIRO

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


Mishaps & BlundersMishaps & 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

COACHES ON FIRE IN GAUTENGDuring the evening of 22 January, two coaches in an incoming

Metrorail commuter train from the south-west were set alight

at Croesus, south of Langlaagte in Gauteng. A motor coach and

trailer were involved. Preliminary investigations, according to

spokesman Lawrence Venkile, “suggest that arson may have been

the root cause.”

Metrorail’s Mosenngwa Mofi was quoted saying: “We reiterate

cabinet’s call that no one should resort to any form of violence

against people or property as a form of striking or protests.”

Metrorail said it suspected that arson attacks on four trains in

Gauteng in the same week were connected to strike action that

started on 21 January,

On 13 March, three coaches in a Metrorail train were set on fi re at

Mlamlankunzi station in Orlando East, Soweto.

TWO TRAINS SET ALIGHT IN DURBANOn 31 January, two Metrorail commuter trains were set alight

at Durban’s KwaMnyandu station. Offi cials told the press they

estimated the damage at R40 million. Sapa quoted Metrorail’s

Thandi Mkhize explaining that one of the trains was on its way to

Umlazi; the other had departed from Umlazi for Durban. According

to Mkhize, “agitated commuters” set the trains on fi re because

they were delayed. This was due to cable theft at Duffs Road and

points being vandalised at KwaMnyandu in the early hours.

Buses sent to assist passengers were stoned, Mkhize said, but

this was stopped by police.

HEAD-ON IN VIENNATrain operations were being authorised manually at Vienna on 21

January while technicians were working on the points. During this

time – the morning rush hour - two opposing trains, both consisting

of S45 commuter sets, were

somehow routed onto the same

track, resulting in a head-on

collision. In all 41 people were

listed as injured, fi ve of them

seriously including one of the

drivers. Air ambulances were

called in, and some passengers

had to be extricated with the

help of cranes. Sarah Nettel of Österreichische Bundesbahnen

(ÖBB – Austria’s state railway) was quoted saying that human error

had not been ruled out as a possible cause.

27 HURT IN EAST LONDON STATION COLLISIONAt 13:45 on 7 February, 29 people were reported injured when

a train entering the main station at East London was incorrectly

routed onto a platform line already occupied by a train with

passengers due to depart at 14:00. Metrorail regional manager

Richard Walker was quoted saying that 27 passengers and two

members of staff were taken to hospital for assessment. The 14:00

train eventually pulled out from East London 75 minutes late.

Other scheduled passenger train services were delayed during

most of the rest of the day.

UP COAL TRAIN DERAILS 41 WAGONSAt about 01:00 on 3 February, a Union Pacifi c coal train headed

for St Louis was involved in a serious derailment at a point south-

damage (none was found), eventually concluding they must have

collided with a large bird, which had fl own away. No injuries were

reported on board the train.

EVACUATION FOLLOWS DERAILMENT IN COLFAXOn 20 January, a 139-wagon freight train from Oakland (across the

bay from San Francisco) bound for Chicago derailed fi ve vehicles

in the town of Colfax, California. Although these remained upright,

a substance leaking from one led to the authorities evacuating

about 100 homes and businesses in the area, in case something

hazardous was involved. Fortunately it was established from the

consist’s manifest that a saltwater preservative solution was

leaking and the evacuation order was reversed. Nobody was hurt

in the incident.

Freight trains in both directions were delayed. Passengers on

Amtrak’s westbound California Zephyr were taken off at Roseville

and taken forward by bus. Union Pacifi c crews worked until late

clearing the tracks, all of which were blocked, eventually restoring

normal service the following day.

EXPRESS DELIVERY!In mid-January, a cleaner employed by a sub-contractor to

Stockholm train operating company Arriva (a Deutsche Bahn

subsidiary) reportedly helped herself to a four-coach train in the

depot and drove it nearly 2km to a station. Here the train ran

through the buffers at the end of a dead-end and crashed into the

fi rst fl oor of a three-storey apartment block. The woman, said to

be in her twenties, reportedly sustained serious injury and was

fl own to hospital. There were three families in the building at the

time but none were hurt.

Subsequent reports retracted earlier suggestions that the woman

was responsible for the bizarre accident, saying that investigations

were concentrating on shortcomings in operating practices.

The local press quoted prosecutor Pär Andersson explaining that,

“after searching her home, and speaking with relatives as well as

emergency workers in contact with the woman after the crash,

investigators concluded there was

no longer any reason to believe she

intentionally drove off in the train.

Andersson added the investigation

revealed a number of ‘unfortunate

circumstances’ that allowed the

woman to put the train in motion.”

LONDON’S VICTORIA STATION EVACUATEDTrain services in and out of Victoria, a major London terminus, were

disrupted on 17 January when fi re broke out on an incoming Gatwick

Express set. For a brief period the entire station was evacuated,

an unprecedented occurrence.

FIRE DUSRUPTS CT METRORAILFour coaches on fi re (and

burned out) in a Metrorail emu

commuter set at Woodstock,

one station from the main Cape

Town terminal, badly disrupted

afternoon peak-hour services on

22 January, necessitating buses

being brought in to move stranded passengers. Four commuters

were injured in the incident and taken to Groote Schuur Hospital.

Bizarre Stockholm train accident.

Head-on in Vienna.

MISHAPS & BLUNDERS


east of Fairbury, Nebraska. Nobody was injured, but no less than

41 wagons left the track, resulting in a lengthy and time-consuming

clean-up operation.

METRORAIL: KALAFONG REAR-ENDER INJURES 300 More than 300 people were reported hurt on 31 January when

Metrorail commuter train 9017 ran into the rear of stationary

train 9009 between Cordelfos and Kalafong stations, shortly after

07:00. One passenger and the driver of train 9017 were badly

injured and eight others were said to be in serious condition. Both

trains were heading to Saulsville in the west of Pretoria.

At a media briefi ng at the Kalafong station, Passenger Rail Agency

of South Africa (Prasa) operations chief executive Mosenngwa

Mofi said the theft of two cables had been reported just after

midnight. The signalling system was affected and at the time of the

accident, trains were moving under manual direction.

Responding to suggestions that the

driver of train 9017 was responsible

for the collision, Metrorail said this

was a highly experienced employee

with 36 years’ service who had

received several awards relating to

train safety and bravery, the most

recent on 17 November 2012.The

outcome of the Board of Inquiry

should not be pre-empted, Metrorail

said.

The line remained closed for several days, with buses substituting

for the train service.

BROKEN RAIL CAUSED 8-WAGON DERAILMENTAccording to fi ndings by the US Federal Department of Transportation,

a broken rail caused the 2 February derailment of eight out of 105

wagons in a Hamlet-Wilmington freight train at Bladenboro, North

Carolina, USA. Most of the wagons were empty but one that came

off the track was carrying anhydrous ammonia, a toxic gas used

as an ingredient in fertiliser. This resulted in the evacuation of 300

homes that were downwind of the accident. The speed limit at the

site of the derailment was 78km/h and according to the report the

train was travelling at 70km/h. The total cost of damage included

$467,569 for equipment and $100,000 for structural repairs.

INDIAN STATION STAMPEDE: 36 DEADA station massively overcrowded with Hindu pilgrims on 10 February

degenerated into a stampede situation in which at least 36 people

lost their lives, and 30 were taken to hospital in Allahabad. One of

the dead was a girl of eight; 27 were women, according to reports,

mainly elderly. Sunday was the busiest day of the world’s reputedly

largest religious event at which some 30 million washed away their

sins in the sacred Ganges river.

BRISBANE CRASH BLAMED ON FALLING LEAVESAt 09:38 on 31 January 2013, a six-coach Queensland Rail (QR)

commuter train ran through a dead-end road at Cleveland station,

overran the buffers and demolished part of the recently refurbished

station building. The train crew and 13 passengers sustained minor

injuries, 10 being admitted to hospital. Damage was caused to the

leading coach as well as some 300 metres of overhead traction

wire and its supports.

The offi cial report on investigations into the incident says “leaves

on the rails” probably caused wheelslip when the brakes were

applied. The driver, with 20 years’ experience behind him, did all

he could to stop the train, but “poor adhesion to the track” caused

the train to slide, then mount the stopblock and crash into the

gentlemen’s toilets. Gale force winds during 25 and 26 January had

brought branches down onto the overhead wires and track, creating

“a thick layer of leaf litter on the rails” which resulted in the line

being closed for four days.

OPEN TRAIN DOOR PERTURBS CHICAGO OFFICIALSAn investigation at federal level followed an incident in Chicago

on 6 February when a peak-hour commuter train ran “at express

speed” from Union station with one of the passenger doors open.

Offi cials said a build-up of ice, apparently caused by a faulty heater

thermostat, was the cause of the door failing to close.

Concern over the incident recalls an accident in 1995, when

violinist Rachel Barton was caught in the door of a moving train and

dragged, resulting in the loss of part of a leg. A jury awarded her

$29 million in damages.

DEEP SNOW CLOSES LINES IN NEW YORKOn Friday evening 8 February, New York’s Metro-North Railroad

suspended train service on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven

lines because of the accelerating severity of a massive storm, as

well as heavy projected snowfall accumulations. Grand Central

Terminal in Manhattan closed down after the last trains arrived at

approximately midnight.

CN MAIN-LINE CLOSED BY DERAILMENT On the morning of 9 February, eight wagons derailed in a Canadian

National (CN) freight train near the Jubilee Overpass in Winnipeg,

shortly after departing from the yard in Fort Rouge. Six vehicles

fell onto their sides but the other two remained upright. However,

a number of steel beams fell from one of the wagons that stayed

on the track. Fortunately no hazardous goods were involved and

no injuries were reported. Traffi c on the CN main-line was halted

temporarily while breakdown crews cleared the track.

“SIX-INCH” RAIL GAP NEAR SELBY, UKThe Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) in Britain has

launched a comprehensive investigation into track conditions on

the East Coast Main-Line near Hambleton, where express trains

routinely operate at 200km/h. This follows the 1 February release

by the RMT rail union of a photo showing “six inches of rail missing

at Hambleton South junction near Selby” which the press described

as “an accident waiting to happen”. The union submitted a similar

photo in December 2012, showing a similar

problem at nearby Colton Junction.

According to press reports, “RMT believes

that due to renewals and staffi ng cuts, an

initial crack had crumbled away to a six-inch

gap in the rail head over a period of two

weeks in a mirror image of the incident at

Colton Junction, leaving trains, passengers

and staff at risk of a serious and potentially

lethal incident.”

ARREST AFTER BNSF TRAIN DISABLEDOn Friday 9 February, police in Hamburg, Iowa, arrested a Missouri

man suspected of disabling a train of the Burlington Northern Santa

Kalafong collision.

Photo: Netcare 911.

Gap in a rail at

Colton Junction.


MISHAPS & BLUNDERS

Fe Railroad (BNSF) at about 04:00. Alleged to have entered the

locomotive’s engine compartment, he was arrested on suspicion of

trespassing, and detained in the Fremont County Jail, with further

charges pending. The train was reportedly stationary near the

intersection of Main and Washington Streets in Hamburg. BNSF

employees said the 27-year-old had boarded the train before arrival

and caused the damage.

CONTAINER TRAIN DERAILS LOCO & 17 WAGONSOn 7 February, a westbound Canadian National (CN) freight

derailed the locomotive and 17 fl atcars carrying containers about

5km west of Biggar, Saskatchewan, about 95km west of Saskatoon.

All remained upright when they went off the track, but traffi c on

the main-line was shut down until the rolling stock was cleared. No

injuries were reported. The cargo was said to comprise “household

goods”; nothing hazardous.

MOZAMBIQUE: FLOODS DISRUPT RAIL IN NAMPULAOn 1 February, the Nachicuva River in Northern Mozambique burst

its banks at Monapo, resulting in a crater about 70 metres long

and 35 metres deep, with the railway hanging in mid-air after the

earthworks were washed away. All traffi c on the Nampula line was

suspended indefi nitely. According to one estimate, the line may be

out of action for as much as three weeks.

DERAILMENT CLOSES MAPUTO-SA MAIN-LINEA serious goods train derailment involving ten wagons near Tenga

on the Maputo-South Africa main-line in mid-February resulted

in total closure of the route to all traffi c. The accident weakened

the structure of a bridge. Caminhos de ferro do Moçambique

(CFM – the state railway & harbours) instructed the contractor to

concentrate on “the essential aspects” of repair work so that trains

could run again, leaving “secondary repairs” till later. There would

be a “provisional reconstruction” of the damaged bridge, allowing

trains to cross, and a “defi nitive rebuilding” afterwards.

Under normal circumstances, the line is used by seven freight and

two passenger trains daily. Every month, some 30 trainloads of

minerals travel the route from South Africa to the port of Maputo.

Arrangements to use the line through Swaziland as an alternative

route were under consideration at the time Notiçias (published in

Maputo) reported the incident.

Coal of Africa (CoAL) issued force majeure notices to its customers

following the derailment, when Transnet attempts to establish

alternative routes to the Matola port were proving unsuccessful.

CoAL told shareholders it would implement measures at all its

operations to mitigate the commercial and operational impact of

the force majeure, and noted that production at its Mooiplaats and

Woestalleen operations would continue until stockpile capacity

was exhausted.

CONCRETE FALLING FROM RAILWAY BRIDGE There is a problem at an elderly railway bridge crossing 273rd

West Avenue in the city of Bristow, Oklahoma. Residents duck their

heads when driving underneath because from time to time, large

lumps of concrete fall off into the roadway. The bridge is owned by

the Oklahoma Department of Transport which leases the structure

to a “shortline” railway company - the Watco Companies Stillwater

Central Railroad - whose responsibility it is to ensure the bridge

Sales and rentals of locomotives, trackmobiles and other rolling stock.Repair/reconditioning of locomotives, trackmobiles and other rolling stock in our Pretoria West based workshop and on site.Repair/reconditioning of all locomotive and other rolling stock equipment (engines, bogies, turbo chargers, air and vacuum brake valves and auxiliaries, compressors and exhausters, couplers and draft gears etc.)Service exchange components for most major items on present day locomotives, which include traction motors, bogies, power packs, expressors and main generators etc.A full range of spare parts for locomotives and rail wagons, most of which are available off the shelf.Sales and rentals of electrical, mechanical and air jacking systems for the lifting of locomotives and rail wagons etc, on site.Operation and control of entire rail systems ranging from the maintenance of customers own locomotives and rolling stock to the control and transport of their products and the maintenance of their railway tracks and switch/signalling systems.

SPECIALIZING IN THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY

OPERATIONS &

WORKSHOP

No1 Frikkie Meyer RoadPretoria WestGautengRepublic of South Africa

Tel: +27 12 380-0540Fax: +27 12 [email protected]

HEAD OFFICE

P.O Box 40178Cleveland2022Republic of South Africa

93 Whitworth RoadHeriotdale, JohannesburgGautengRepublic of South Africa

Tel: +27 11 626-3516Fax: +27 11 626-1171/[email protected]

>>>>

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SURTEES RAIL GROUP

MISHAPS & BLUNDERS

DEATH & INJURY ON USA RAILWAYSMore people are killed trespassing on the railway in the United

States than in level crossing collisions. Vehicle-train collisions and

injuries at level crossings decreased 5.1% to 1,953 in 2012 but rail

trespassing deaths and injuries increased 7.5% to 442 - the highest

level since 2008. States with the most crossing collisions last year

were Texas, California, Illinois, Indiana and Georgia. States with the

most pedestrian-train casualties (deaths and injuries combined)

were California, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York and Florida.

BNSF UNVEILS LANDSLIDE ACTION PLAN The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) had 200 reported

landslides in the Pacifi c North-west since October 2012, specifi cally

in the section between Everett and Seattle. Improvements costing

$16 million are to be carried out at the six “most risky and problematic

locations”, along a 13km stretch between Mukilteo and Everett.

Company spokesman Guy Melonas told the press that debris is to

be shifted from the top of slopes, and additional catchment walls

built in the area. Drainage systems will be improved at the same

time. When it becomes necessary to close the line and cancel the

operation of passenger trains, journeys on the replacement buses

add as much 90 minutes to commuter travelling.

DERAILMENT AT NAIROBISuburban passenger train service into Nairobi from Kibera,

Gatekwera and Kikuyu was suspended on 18 March following a

derailment at Kibera outside the city. Commuters were advised

to use alternative transport until regular rail operation could be

restored. Press reports said the process of removing the derailed

train had taken longer than expected “owing to technicalities”.

METRORAIL HICCUPSA massive power failure at the end of February stranded Metrorail

trains and knocked out signalling throughout the length of the

Cape Town-Simon’s Town suburban line. Press photos showed

commuters who had detrained walking along the track (it looked

like Plumstead), with a stationary 10M3 set in the background.

remains in good repair. The company recently inspected the bridge

and it appears there is steel beneath the concrete which should

prevent chunks falling off – but a further assessment is to be

carried out.

POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS LANDSLIP AT DONCASTERTrain service between Doncaster, Goole and

Scunthorpe in the UK was halted for “at

least two months” by a spectacular landslip

near Doncaster on 11 February. The tracks

were left “twisted and buckled like a scene

from a disaster movie,” according to press

reports. The site is that of an extensive tip

adjoining a large colliery whose engineering

consultants are “monitoring the situation closely” before attempting

remedial work. Stainforth Town Council Mayor Arlene Abbott was

quoted saying the municipality has been trying “for years” to get

the size of the tip reduced. Britain’s Rail Accident Investigation

Branch (RAIB) is investigating.

DERAILMENT COST TRANSNAMIB N$65 MILLIONAccording to TransNamib acting CEO Eugenia Tjaronda, the

derailment during December 2012 behind Dune 7 near Walvis Bay

cost the parastatal more than N$65 million. The two locomotives –

both write-offs - were removed soon afterwards but the 17 wagons

that came off the track (all loaded with manganese) were still

lying at the entrance to the Dune 7 recreational area, popular with

tourists, until recently.

KENYAN TRAIN DERAILS NEAR VOIOn 2 March, all rail traffi c through Voi, 164km from Mombasa on

the main-line to Nairobi, was halted for some six hours following the

derailing of a Magoda Soda freight train. The cause was suspected

to be a problem with the track. Press representatives looking for

details quoted a police department spokesman saying he was not

aware of the accident, though reportedly it occurred “only a few

metres from the Voi police divisional headquarters”.

PEACOCK ENCOUNTER INJURES CREWMANIndia’s Deccan Herald reported recently that a passenger train

travelling from Madurai to Shencottah was delayed more than an

hour after a peacock entered the driver’s cab and ”attacked” the

assistant engineman. Offi cials said the train was moving at about

80km/h near Thiruthangal in the district of Virudhunagar when

the “low-fl ying” peacock broke the windscreen, entered the cab

and clawed at the crewman, who was slightly hurt and admitted

to hospital at Rajapalayam. The bird was pronounced dead at

the scene.

Twisted tracks at

Doncaster landslip.

Photo: RAIB

“Signalman says it wasn’t a fl ag, it was a handkerchief he was waving to his

girlfriend. The drivers all thought it meant they could pass the next signal

at danger”.

On 5 May, a number of loaded ore wagons derailed on the Sishen-Saldanha

line near Moravia, spilling their loads and ripping up a lengthy section of track.


MISHAPS & BLUNDERS

DRILLING INTO A LONDON TUNNEL HALTS TRAINSEarly in March, the driver of a train

from London’s Moorgate to Welwyn

Garden City in Hertfordshire saw

muddy water pouring into the tunnel

near Old Street station, a section

used by two million city workers

annually. He reported the incident

and all rail services were stopped.

Network Rail sent an operations

manager in a special, empty trainset

to investigate. Approaching Old

Street, the men on board spotted

two large metallic objects that had

apparently fallen from a hole in the roof of the tunnel, one of which

was in contact with the live conductor rail. These were later identifi ed

as sections of an auger (drill) that had penetrated the tunnel lining

before falling onto the track. Each section measured approximately

two metres in length and was 0.35 metres in diameter. Immediate

checks revealed that the augering operation was associated with

construction activity on land about 13 metres above the top of

the tunnel. The line remained closed until investigations into the

incident were completed and repairs carried out. Britain’s Rail

Accidents Investigation Branch (RAIB) is to issue a full report in

due course.

HAZARDOUS TANKCARS DERAILAmerica’s national Route 5 Highway was closed on 22 February

near West Springfi eld in Massachusetts following the derailing of

two tankcars on the adjoining railway. One of the vehicles contained

butyraldehyde, “a colourless, odourless and fl ammable chemical

used in the manufacturing of plastic products”. The other was

empty, “but still had enough residual materials inside to warrant

concern.” West Springfi eld authorities ordered the evacuation of

several homes in the immediate vicinity of the accident and 14

people were accommodated in an emergency shelter at the West

Springfi eld Middle School. Once the tankcars were placed back

on the track, a locomotive had to be sent in from Springfi eld (to

the east) as track damage to the west of the derailment precluded

rescue operations on that side.

Butyraldehyde is said to be highly fl ammable, harmful if swallowed

or brought in contact with skin. It can cause serious eye irritation

and is harmful to aquatic life. Warnings by the authorities point

out that the vapour - being heavier than air - may travel along the

ground, so that “distant ignition is possible.” If mixed with air, it can

be explosive”.

SOUTH AFRICAN RAIL ACCIDENT STATSManager for safety analysis Kenny Makgati of the South African

Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) told the annual rail safety conference

in Johannesburg that “occurrences” during the 2011/12 fi nancial

year cost the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) R203.2

million – 65% more than the corresponding period 12 months

earlier. By comparison, Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) reported a 65%

drop over the same period. This meant that TFR paid out R228.6

million – a signifi cant improvement over the R942.2 million debited

in 2010/11.

TFR attributed most of the lessened expense to a decrease in the

number of collisions at level crossings. The bill here went down

from R816.3 million in 2010/11 to R148.1 million in 2011/12 – the

lowest in four years.

Augur drilling bits in the tunnel

near Old Street. Photo: RAIB.

SENA LINE CLOSED Lengthy and very costly stoppage in the movement of export coal

hit Mozambique’s Moatize mines on 12 February. This resulted from

the closure of the Sena line to the port of Beira following washaways

after heavy rain. Caminhos de ferro do Moçambique (CFM – the

state railway & harbours) plans to deviate the initial portion of the

route to a higher level eventually (it is prone to fl ooding), but not in

the near future.

The Sena line is the only effective route currently for exports from

Moatize, as the use of road trucks is wholly impractical over more

than 500km of poor infrastructure. Vale and Rio Tinto, the main

producers, are mining far more coal than can be moved under

normal conditions. The fl oods have made matters that much worse.

ZIM

BA

BWE

SOUTHAFRICA

SWAZILAND

MOZAMBIQUEMA

LAW

I

ZAM

BIA

Beira

Dondo

Inhamitanga

Manica

Mutare

To Harare

To Bulawayo

To Johannesburg

Inhambane

Inharrime

Xai - Xai

Ungub

ana

MoambaKomatipoort

Ressano Garcia

Boane

Goba

Manhica

Xinavane

MAPUTO

Manjacaze

ChicomeMarao

Ch

okw

e

Caia

Vila de Sena

Marromeu

Mocuba

Nacala

Monapo

LumboNampula

Cuamba

Entre LagosNkaya

Moatize

Chiromo

Mutarara

Blantyre

Tete

Lichinga

Lilongwe

Chipata

Quelimane

Indian Ocean

Cabora Bassa Dam

Zambesi River

TANZANIA

Lake

Ma

law

i

1500 300 450

Km

Morrumbala

The number of derailments countrywide went down by 11% to

798, but those at TFR cost the operator R53.5 million in 2011/12

(2010/2011: R25.4 million). Rail collisions however cost TFR

R620,000 in 2011/12 (2010/2011: R3 million).

The cost of collisions at Prasa however totalled R61 million during

2011/12 (2010/2011: R24.4 million), nearly treble. Level crossing

incidents also cost Prasa three times more - around R600,000. A

year ago, the fi gure was R200,000.

Fatalities associated with railways totalled 425 in 2011/2012

(2010/2011: 487). Most incidents involved pedestrians being

struck by trains.

Theft and vandalism including cable theft cost TFR R19.2 million in

2011/2012, and Prasa R9.1 million. Fires on trains cost TFR R7.11

million and Prasa R126 million.


MISHAPS & BLUNDERS

ORIGIN OF THE WORD COCOPAN In response to the note about cocopans

(see page 12) which was included on www.

railwaysafrica.com some weeks ago, we

received the following:

SECOND OPINION Apparently the “Zulu origin” stems from the

Collins English dictionary. I have a second

opinion on this one - in my blog entry for

Kimberley’s Olive, this explanation is given:

One of the mining tipcarts (also “tramcar”)

which was used to transport concentrates

holding diamonds. Locally in South Africa

these are known as “cocopans” - a word

probably coming by folk etymology from the

Afrikaans words “koek” (cake) + “pan”(pan).

This information stems from America’s

authoritative source: Merriam-Webster’s third

new international dictionary (This 3rd edition

[2661pages!], fi rst published in 1961), reads:

Koek and pan have their roots deep in

the Dutch (“MD”) and German (“OHG”)

languages.

Note that around the year 1900, the Afrikaans

word would have been “koekepan”, which is

very close to “cocopan” to the ear. A Dutch

dictionary (Beknopt Nederlands Woordeboek

voor Zuid-Afrika) published in 1908 does list

the word “koekepan” - as a pan for baking

pancakes. No mention yet of mining tip-carts.

Personally for me, the “cake pan” version is

more plausible - it is unlikely that the Zulu

language had a word for “short truck” -

Originally they only used oxen sleighs, and

only saw wheels after contact with western

civilisation. Their “ngkumbana” (Ku+ban

sounds like Koe+pan) more likely stems

from “koekpan” as well! After diamonds

were discovered at Kimberley and gold on

the Reef and Baberton, large numbers of

Afrikaans-speaking people went to work on

the diggings - it is very likely that there they

would have coined the word “koek(e)pan”

for the tip-carts - which then found its way

as “cocopan” into the English vocabulary.

As an anticlimax, the Afrikaans HAT

(Handbook of the Afrikaans Language) also

supports the Zulu origin for the Afrikaans

word “koekepan”. I still prefer the Webster

explanation which has been around for 50

and more years -the HAT (now in its 5th

edition) was fi rst published in 1965 - not

sure if it originally offered information about

koekepan.

– Piet Conradie

END OF THE LINE


CORRESP NDENCE

Alone in a sea of khaki scrub.It didn’t look like much from a distance.A silver roof glinting in the setting sun

Amongst a grove of bluegums,Stately wardens of the Karoo,And home to owl, kestrel, dove,

And noisy hadedas.

Providers of cool summer shade,Golden pollen for the bees,

Wood for our fi res,Timber for our homes,

And soothing winter liniment.This antipodean interloper,Stood proud on the line,In the yard at the back,

Of the wonderful Railway Hotel.

As we drew nearer, our white dust,A haze o’er the veld,

The sun sank behind a black horizon,Turning scrub and road mauve and dunn,

And gum trees to inky darkness,And silver roofs grey without sun.

We saw a turning windmill,Its fi shtail fl icking, while the wind sought

Refuge for the night.

But out farther,On the spreading landscape, far beyond

The tiny inn,Far across the tumbled scrubland,

Black smoke moved, drawing a charcoal line,Smudged darkly through the spreading

Panorama.

Pulling up on crunchy gravel,With a stoep light shining brightly,W

In the fading warmth of day,We saw cars and bakkies drawn up

Side by side,And people danced and sang,

To the jerking beat of a boereorkes,While a faraway whistle fl oated sweetly,

On the evening air.

A steam whistle, faint yet urgent,Along the distant track,

Where coloured signals split the rails,Like scissor blades opening, then closing.

A locomotive black and looming,Of jutting banjo mien,

Howled through our tiny world, rocking,Its men on easy cushions green,

With wind on their arms, and their hair.Running hot with no smoke from her chimney,

No steam to be seen, anywhere,

Except a feather of steam o’er her boiler,Flying white as a pennant fair,

And the shimmering heat waves rising,Of her sound and her presence aware.

She hurried through, rocking and moaning,In dusky, metallic splendour,

And we heard and we felt her pass by,That train with a big condenser

Pounding ‘neath the Great Karoo sky,Like a parasol darkened and punctured,

By pinpricks of stars fl oating by,Past that wonderful place in our memories,

That place we all knew so well,That place that is never forgotten,

The wonderful Railway Hotel.

- Pierre de Wet

THE RAILWAY HOTEL



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Railways Africa Issue 3 2013

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