The Cato Ridge Inland Port (Crip) has achieved a significant milestone by successfully implementing a back-of-port train solution to connect the Port of Durban and Cato Ridge. After a series of trials conducted in late December 2022, the solution proved successful, leading to its official rollout in January.“The trains are now operational, running between the two destinations with minimal disruptions, marking a positive step towards efficient freight transportation,” said Warwick Lord, CEO of the Cato Ridge Inland Port.Lord told Freight News that the initial trial phase had focused on running a single export train from Cato Ridge to Durban. As the month progressed, further progress was made, and by the end of January, imports were successfully secured. This development enabled the improved operation of two weekly trains, consisting of one export train and one import train, facilitating smoother movement between Cato Ridge and Durban.Despite the successful implementation, the Crip has faced some underlying challenges that need to be addressed to further enhance the efficiency of the train solution.“We do need to ramp up volumes,” said Lord. “The aim is to increase the frequency of trains to at least two per day, comprising one export train and one import train. This ramp-up in volume will enable a more robust and consistent f low of goods between the two destinations, optimising trade operations and the balancing of containers required for this.”At present, limited volumes and availability of wagons sometimes impact operations, with the latter posing some constraints to loading processes, resulting in delays. According to Lord, efforts are under way to address this limitation and ensure a sufficient supply of wagons and locomotives to meet the demand.Another challenge has been rate integrations. “The Crip envisioned offering a single integrated rate to the market, encompassing railing, lift-on/off services, and last-mile connectivity. However, integrating competitive rates with road transport has proven to be challenging. Ensuring a competitive pricing structure while offering comprehensive services remains a priority for the Crip, and ongoing efforts are being made to strike the right balance,” said Lord.His outlook for the logistics hub is highly positive. “As volumes increase, the services and terminal space will increase to accommodate the growth. Crip needs to develop its current facility further to include a container stacking area. The current operations are that containers are directly loaded/off loaded onto trucks from wagons, which is inefficient and adds cost.”Lord said as volumes ramped up, a truck staging facility would also need to be developed to stage vehicles going to the terminal to deliver or collect containers.“The developments at Cato Ridge are ongoing. We are already enjoying considerable interest in properties that can be utilised by potential customers making use of the rail emanating from the Catcon terminal,” he said. “Grindrod Logistics has also established a container terminal adjacent to the Catcon terminal. This has allowed greater collaboration in offering supply chain services at Cato Ridge.”According to Lord, the expected increase in international trade due to globalisation, and the need to strengthen connectivity and seamless global movement of goods, required South Africa to increase facilitation and enhance efficiency. “The driving factor is that the markets desire to reduce the cost of transport and logistics as well as to extend the reach to inland areas and wider hinterlands.”
