New Denver facility speeds turnaround for rail traffic

The R12-million, 50-wagon

private siding at the sevenmonth-

old Grindrod

Intermodal facility in

Denver in Gauteng is now

operational, according to

CEO Kees Anton Van Welie.

“This,” he said, “gives

customers the opportunity to

share in the benefits of block

train movements, and avoid

congestion at common-user

terminals.”

Describing the company’s

Denver operation as a

“flagship facility”, Van

Welie told FTW that this

135 000-sqm industrial

development was a transport

hub connecting markets from

as far as Zambia, Malawi,

Zimbabwe, Botswana,

DRC and closer to home at

Maputo, Richards Bay and

Durban.

“Customers are able to take

advantage of the Transnet

Freight Rail (TFR) express

service,” he added, “which

allows for containers loaded

directly from a vessel in the

Port of Durban to be railed

to Grindrod Intermodal’s

terminal in Denver. Uncleared

import containers will be

received by Intermodal’s

customs-licensed terminal.”

Cargo can also be railed

direct from Denver to the

Port of Durban. “Either way,”

said Van Welie, “there are no

intermediate stoppages, and

trials have achieved an average

transit of 40 hours.”

Over-border customers now

have the option of delivering

goods destined for foreign

markets to City Deep. This

allows for a quicker turnaround

of trucks, saving time

and increasing efficiency.

Commodities are then stored

at these facilities before being

packed in containers and railed

directly to the Port of Durban

for shipment.

“In these tough economic

times, reducing costs in the

supply chain and creating

efficiencies is imperative to

promoting trade,” Van Welie

said. “We are able to offer our

clients competitive rail rates

through our good working

relationship with TFR.

Furthermore, cross-haul

costs are eliminated whilst

still offering a ‘terminal to

terminal’ service.”

In the Denver terminal

there is an 18 000-sqm

undercover warehouse;

35 000 sqm of mining mineral

yards; a 27 000-sqm full

container stacking area; a

35 000-sqm empty container

stacking and maintenance

yard; 15 000 sqm of transport

facilities; and

1 500 sqm of office facilities.

The facility can handle

1 million tons of containerised

cargo and in excess of 100 000

containers per annum.

INSERT

Containers are loaded

directly from a vessel

in the Port of Durban

to be railed to

Grindrod Intermodal’s

terminal in Denver

CAPTION

Grindrod's Denver facility... transit time on the Durban route has averaged 40 hours.