The strategic advantage of rail lies in the movement of heavy haul, bulk and unitised commodities over long distances where flow densities provide economies of scale, thereby lowering unit costs. Transporting rail friendly freight on rail rather than road reduces logistics costs, and impacts positively on the road network, whilst reducing transport sector carbon emissions for the country.

Freight Rail maintains and manages a complex rail network which extends across South Africa and comprises approximately 31 000 track km (20 911 route km) over which commodities are hauled by locomotives in wagons specifically suited to the commodity type. The diverse rail network comprises ~1 500 km heavy-haul lines. The network also includes 3 928 km of branch lines that serve as feeders to main lines.

 

Figure 1: Freight Rail Network 

 

 

Figure 2: Corridor Operating Model

 

Source: www.transnetfreightrail-tfr.net/