Transnet Freight Rail’s (TFR) annual maintenance shutdown on the North Corridor will get under way from July12-22.
TFR said in a statement on Monday that the rail maintenance and repair work would cover Richards Bay to Pyramid South, with key maintenance activities taking place along the Richards Bay to Ermelo section, the DC section between Ermelo and the mines, as well as the Pyramid section.
TFR said plans were at an advanced stage for the successful execution of the megaproject, which would include the uplifting of a total of 16 temporary speed restrictions along 34 kilometres of railway track. The project will see the restoration of eight slots in the network for the North Corridor. The scope of work to be executed during the shutdown includes formation rehabilitation, component replacement, drainage repair, and sleeper replacement.
“The North Corridor shutdown is planned to coincide with the shutdowns by our critical stakeholders to enable them to perform their own maintenance to their infrastructure,” TFR managing executive for the North Corridor, Ali Motala, said.
“Maintenance shutdowns are an essential part of the business as they ensure that routine maintenance work is performed which supports railway operations and improves business competencies. Amongst the benefits will be to improve the deteriorated network conditions, to create resilient infrastructure, and accelerate the network renewal programme,” Motala added.
