Johannesburg – Operations on the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) Corridor has been severely disrupted due to a derailment and a separate incident of cable theft.
“Both events have significantly impacted our ability to continue with normal operations, causing inconvenience and delays to our valued customers,” said TRF in a statement issued Monday by Head of Communications and Reputation Management Mary Papayya.
“At approximately 02:05 on Monday, (5 June 2023), 20 iron-ore loaded wagons derailed between Loop 9 and 10.
“Our teams are on the ground currently trying to establish the cause of the derailment.”
Dedicated rail network and operations teams have been mobilised to assess the situation, initiate recovery efforts, and restore normal operations as swiftly as possible.
“In a separate incident around 22:55 on Sunday night thieves stole 23 spans of cable on the Kolomela line in the Northern Cape. Our security and overhead traction equipment (OHTE) teams responded promptly,” TRF said.
“Law enforcement agencies have been alerted about the incident. Efforts are underway to normalise operations as soon as possible.
“TFR sincerely apologises for the inconvenience caused and continues to provide regular updates as new information becomes available.”