An accident at a railway bridge on the west coast of the Northern Cape means that South Africa will not be able to export iron ore and may suffer a deficit of millions of rands.
The accident that caused the Sishen-Saldanha rail line to come to a halt for approximately a week, was caused when a truck carrying a shovel that exceeded the height of the bridge, collided with the railway bridge above, on Wednesday morning 28 November 2018.
The bridge is situated between Vredendal and Lutzville on the Hol River road. The abnormal load caused structural damage to the bridge and the railway track above. Train movement in both directions have been impacted.
According to Transnet, initial indications are that bridge will have to be rebuilt to ensure the safety of Sishen-Saldanha iron ore rail line – one of the longest rail lines in the world. Transnet confirmed that the rail line will be re-opened for rail traffic by Sunday 09 December 2018.
According to an employee from Transnet, seven trains are accommodated on the rail daily with a freight of 41 000 ton iron ore. This translates into an excess of 2-million tons of ore that cannot be railed for a week. Monthly, iron ore to the value of R2.5-billion and R3.7-billion is shipped from South Africa.
According to Molatwane Likhethe from Transnet, there is a stock pile of iron ore at the Saldanha port that will sustain exports for seven days.
“Transnet has informed the relevant customers and will keep them updated on the progress of repair to the structure,” said Mr Likhethe.
A spokesperson from Kumba Iron Ore confirmed that Transnet had declared a force majeure on Kumba Iron Ore. Kumba who loads iron ore from its Sishen and Kolomela mines onto the rail line, is working closely with Transnet to fix the line as soon as possible.
Kumba confirmed that its production and export targets would still be within reach for 2018.
Media24 · Kumba Iron Ore communication
ʼn Ongeluk teen ʼn treinbrug aan die Weskus beteken Suid-Afrika kan tans geen ystererts uitvoer nie en kan honderde miljoene rande se verliese ly.
Die ongeluk wat veroorsaak het dat die Sishen- Saldanha-spoorlyn vir minstens ‘n week sal stilstaan. Die Sishen-Saldanha-spoorlyn is gesluit ná ʼn ongeluk Woensdagoggend waarin ʼn vragmotor met ʼn graafmasjien teen ʼn treinbrug tussen Vredendal en Lutzville op die Holrivierpad gebots het.
Transnet sê die aanvanklike aanduidings is dat die brug herbou moet word om te verseker dat die Sishen-Saldanha- ysterertsspoorlyn, een van die langste swaarvragspoorlyne ter wêreld, in ʼn veilige toestand is. Transnet het bevestig die spoorlyn sal volgende Sondag 9 Desember weer vir spoorbedrywighede oopgestel sal word. Molatwane Likhethe, Transnet-woordvoerder, sê aanvanklik is gemeen die herstelwerk sal 14 dae duur, maar ‘n nuwe beraming Vrydagoggend het gewys die herstelwerk sal vroeër voltooi kan word.
Volgens ʼn werknemer van Transnet probeer hulle daagliks om sewe treine op die spoor te laat loop, met elke trein wat 41 000 ton ystererts aanry. Dit beteken dat meer as 2 miljoen ton erts nie in die volgende week vervoer sal kan word nie. Daar word maandeliks tussen R2,5 miljard en R3,7 miljard se ystererts vanaf Suid-Afrika uitgevoer.
Volgens Likhethe het die Saldanhabaai-hawe genoeg ystererts- voorraad om uitvoer vir die volgende sewe dae vol te hou.
Die ongeluk het veroorsaak dat die Sishen- Saldanha-spoorlyn vir minstens ‘n week sal stilstaan. “Transnet het reeds kliënte wat geraak word en wie se vrag op die lyn vervoer word in kennis gestel en sal aanhou om bywerkings te gee oor die herbou van die brug,” sê Likhethe.
ʼn Werknemer van Transnet wat op voorwaarde van anonimiteit praat, sê diegene wat op die Sishen-Saldanha-spoorlyn werk, sit al van Woensdag af by die huis. “Dit beïnvloed ook ons salarisse. Ons verloor baie oortyd.”
Kumba Iron Ore, wat ystererts by die Sishen- en Kolomela-myn in die Noord-Kaap myn, werk saam met Transnet om die probleem op te los. Volgens Kumba kan ʼn tydelike brug ʼn oplossing bied. Dié maatskappy sê Transnet het onderneem dat so ʼn tydelike spoorlyn teen 9 Desember oopgestel kan word.
Kumba sê hulle bly vol vertroue dat hulle steeds hul produksie- en uitvoerteikens vir 2018 sal bereik. – Netwerk24
