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ROLLING STOCK | PERWAY | INFRASTRUCTURE | SIGNALLING | OPERATORS | COMMENT
MA
Y 2
01
1
WWW.RAILWAYSAFRICA.COM
RAILWAYS AFRICA / FOREWORD
Foreword
The copyright on all material in this magazine is expressly reserved and vested in Rail Link Communications cc, unless otherwise stated. No material may be reproduced in any form, in part or in whole, without the permission of the publishers. Please note that the opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers of Rail Link Communications cc unless otherwise stated. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, neither the Editor, Publisher or Contributor can be held liable for any inaccuracies or damages that may arise.
3May 2011 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com
PUBLISHERBarbara Sheat
EDITOR Rollo Dickson
DESIGN & LAYOUTGrazia Muto
ADVERTISINGKim Bevan
SUBSCRIPTIONS Kim Bevan
CONTRIBUTORSAndre Kritzinger
Anton van Schalkwyk
Boon Boonzaaier
Jacque Wepener
John Batwell
Leon Zaayman
Richard Grönstedt
Peter Rogers
ISSN 1029 - 2756
Rail Link Communications ccPO Box 4794 Randburg 2125
Tel: +27 87 940 9278
E-mail: stationmaster@railwaysafrica.com
Twitter: railwaysafrica
Website: www.railwaysafrica.com
ROLLING STOCK | PERWAY | INFRASTRUCTURE | SIGNALLING | OPERATORS | COMMENT
MA
Y 2
01
1
WWW.RAILWAYSAFRICA.COM
BARBARA SHEATPublisher / Railways Africa
An era - a railway era - has ended in South Africa with the passing of Boon Boonzaaier.
During a very long illness and continual discomfort, he accomplished more than most
people manage in a lifetime. After early retirement from teaching due to poor health, the
rail tour organisation he created in Southern Africa was renowned world-wide: it earned
the country thousands of well-spent Dollars, Pounds, Deutschmarks and Yen, brought
by enthusiastic overseas travellers who invariably returned to spend more.
Boon accompanied every excursion himself, personally ensuring that everything fl owed
smoothly, even if (for example) a broken leg that refused to mend for two years confi ned
him to a chair in the lounge car. From there, with great humour, he would provide an
inimitable and highly knowledgeable commentary. Despite generating steady money to
pour into Spoornet coffers, the parastatal’s deteriorating locomotive and rolling stock
situation brought the tours to an end in 2007, to everybody’s dismay.
Indefatigable, Boon went home and wrote a book. Characteristically, it was no ordinary
book. In A4 format, the 750,000-word Tracks Across The Veld runs to 349 pages, crammed
with information, historical data, 80 detailed maps, every conceivable statistic and
600 incomparable colour photos; even special, rail-related stamps.
Tracks Across The Veld was veritably Boon’s magnum opus, a fi tting memorial to a truly
remarkable man.
Only a matter of days before he died, Boon - listed regularly as a contributor in Railways
Africa - was still sending us amazing photos and other material.
FEATURE TITLE
4 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
ContentsContents
RAILWAY SAFETY REGULATOR Safe and Healthy Workers are Vital for Safer Railways 6
PLASSERAIL The Ins and Outs of Mechanised Railway Track Tamping 10
Features
Contactless Tickets for Cairo 26
RVR Timetable Changes 27
Chinese $4.6Bn Deal with Kenya Railways 28
Zambian North-west Railway 32
Steam Activity at NRZ 34
Africa Update
21
10
26
And Now for Something Completely Different 20
Pete the Pundit
5Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
RAILWAYS AFRICA / CONTENTS
End of the LineThree Countries – Three Gauges 54
Gautrain Extensions East & West 54
Profound Texan Name Change 56
37
42
36
56
Permanent Way Fault Detection 36
Out & About In The Western Cape 37
Transnet Fleet Renewal 38
Coal Line Shutdown 40
SA Rail News
Soweto Crash Hurts 250, 644, 857… 42
Chaos In UK Tunnel 44
Derailment Near Klapmuts 46
Israeli Crash Injures 60 49
Don’t Sleep On The Subway, Darling 50
Mishaps & Blunders
occupational health and safety. Therefore the standard makes the
necessary normative reference to the relevant national legislation
and standards. These include among others the Basic Conditions
of Employment Act, the Employment Equity Act, Labour Relations
Act, Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act,
National Road Traffi c Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The standard is divided into three broad categories which cover the
human-system interface (design issues), physical environmental
factors, and organisational and psychological factors.
The human-system interface refers to the application of human
factors information to match tools, machines, systems, tasks, jobs,
and environments to the physical and psychological capabilities
and limitations of people and seeks to safeguard safety, health,
and well-being whilst optimising effi ciency and performance.
The potential effects of poor design include impaired cognitive
functioning, impaired vision, changes in reaction time, burnout,
stress, fatigue, drowsiness, bone, joint, muscular, vascular,
neurological disorders, all of which could lead ultimately to unsafe
work practices.
It is recommended that operators use design specialists where
necessary to ensure the adequate and effi cient design of tools,
equipment, workstations and machinery.
Physical environmental factors include noise, vibration, lighting,
thermal environment and hazardous substances. Excessive or
inadequate exposure to these could result in immediate or delayed
health effects, fatigue, impaired vision and cognitive functioning
which could eventually result in unsafe work practices.
Operators are required to conduct surveys to determine the
impact of these physical environmental factors on safe railway
The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), on behalf of the
Railway Safety Regulator (RSR), has just published a national
standard on human factors management.
The standard was developed primarily to provide railway operators
with the minimum requirements to manage human factors and
has been adopted by the RSR Board, making compliance to the
standard mandatory to all railway operators in South Africa.
As defi ned in the National Railway Safety Regulator Act, “human
factors” mean factors which include the perceptual, physical and
mental capabilities of people and the interaction of individuals
with their job and working environments, the infl uence of
equipment and system design on human performance, and
the organisational characteristics that infl uence safety-related
behaviour at work.
The purpose of human factors management is to reduce
occurrences attributable to human error by optimising human
capital and by mitigating the risks associated with human factors
in the workplace to acceptable levels. The management of human
factors is a dynamic, risk-driven process and must form an integral
part of each operator’s safety management system.
The standard is applicable to all employees undertaking safety-
related work in the railway environment. This includes all functions
and activities that have an impact on safe railway operations and
includes safety-critical work which refers to all functions and
activities related to the authorisation and control of the movement
of rolling stock.
The requirements covered in this standard have an overlap with
other components such as recruitment, training, human resource
issues, health and medical issues as well as an overlap with
6 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
RAILWAY SAFETY REGULATOR
By Jacintha Naidoo, Senior Manager of Safety Standards at South Africa’s Railway Safety Regulator.
Safe and Healthy Workers are Vital for Safer Railways
Gautrain Turnout Assembly
GM
620_
VAE_
Pres
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www.voestalpine.com/vaesa
Railway operators are urged to conduct education and awareness
of each requirement in this standard as well as relevant legislation,
policies and procedures in respect of their employees undertaking
safety-related work.
The concept of dual responsibility is also emphasised throughout
the standard and is in line with the “duty of care” principle. The
latter requires employers to take reasonable steps to ensure their
employees’ health and safety are not impaired due to the work
undertaken. The employees also have a responsibility to exercise
reasonable care in the execution of their work. This mutual
responsibility is crucial in ensuring safe railway operations.
The RSR is recognised by the SABS as a standards development
organisation and the relationship is managed via a memorandum
of understanding (MoU). The standard was developed consistent
with national legislation for standards development and was
facilitated by the RSR. The working group and technical committee
was represented by the RSR, SABS, employee representative
organisations, industry experts on operational issues and subject
matter experts.
SANS 3000-4 forms part of a suite of standards developed for
the RSR. Other standards developed include those prescribing
the minimum requirements for safety management systems,
technical standards on rolling stock, track, civil and electrical
infrastructure.
The published standards are on sale from the SABS on
www.sabs.co.za and can also be viewed on the RSR’s website on
www.rsr.org.za
operations. These include noise surveys to ensure that safety-
critical communication is not compromised and that the hearing
of the employees is not impaired. Lighting surveys are required
to determine the level of lighting required to perform the required
safety-related tasks safely. Good lighting whether natural or
artifi cial has an important role to play in promoting health and
safety at work as good lighting assists both in the identifi cation of
hazards and reduces the likelihood of visual fatigue and discomfort.
The last category comprises “organisational and psychological”
factors which include: recruitment and selection, training,
medical surveillance, fi tness for duty, chronic medical conditions,
medication, pregnancy, employee wellness, substance abuse,
fatigue management and stress management.
Multi-faceted burdens could result from chronic and acute
medical conditions, substance abuse, fatigue caused by insuffi cient
rest periods, and excessive work and personal stress that could
lead to temporary or permanent inability to work, thus impacting
safe railway operations. Thus railway operators need to develop
adequate policies and procedures to address each requirement in
this standard, to ensure safe railway operations.
The fi tness-for-duty requirement is all-inclusive in that it touches
every other requirement in the standard. Employees undertaking
safety-related work need to be fi t for duty. This means: physically
and mentally healthy, well rested, alert, managed stress levels,
free from substances that could impair faculties, free from any
disabling medical conditions and adequately trained and
competent. From a health perspective, the fi tness-for-duty concept
relates to the continuity of performing safety-related work as well
as from a managerial aspect on the individual’s fi tness while on
duty and the prevention of unsafe railway occurrences.
8 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
RAILWAY SAFETY REGULATOR
2. Lifting And Aligning UnitPlasserail tamping machines are equipped with a combined lifting
and aligning unit (i) mounted in front of the tamping units (ii)
between the bogies (see Figure 3).
Universal tamping machines such as the Unimat (illustrated in
Figure 3) are equipped with a specialised lifting and aligning unit
with lifting hooks (iii) which grips the rail under the crown or base
for lifting in restricted track such as turnouts, roller clamps (iv) for
high-speed lifting on the main-line and either one or two fl anged
rollers (v) which run on the rail crown to transfer the lateral force
to the track for alignment. See also Figure 4.
Main-line tamping machines are equipped with a lifting and
aligning unit with double roller clamps to grip the rail under the
crown for high-speed lifting on the open line and two fl anged
rollers which run on the rail crown to transfer the lateral force to
the track for alignment. See Figure 5.
The track and rail condition monitoring and analysis discussed in
the previous article will identify the corrective maintenance
required as well as the condition of the track for the preventative
maintenance programme. This is the catalyst for all maintenance
to follow.
1. IntroductionUnder repeated loading from traffi c, the track moves
progressively, causing deviations from the desired vertical and
horizontal alignment (geometry). Ballast tamping is the process
used to rearrange the ballast under the sleeper to restore the
geometry and elasticity of the track structure. This is done by
uniformly lifting the track, squeezing ballast in underneath the
sleeper where a void was created by the lifting process and
correcting the horizontal alignment of the track at the same time.
This result of this process is clearly illustrated in Figure 1 and
Figure 2.
Tamping is carried out using mechanised ballast tamping
machines. Many different tamping machine designs are available,
to satisfy every possible tamping requirement, from low-cost,
low-production machines tamping one sleeper at a time to high
production main-line tamping machines using the continuous
action tamping principle and tamping up to four sleepers per
cycle. Other machines are universal and capable of tamping
turnouts and the main-line without having to make any changes
to the machine such as removing tines. This article will explain
the design, use and function of the different main components of
mechanised tamping machines.
Figure 1: Top defect (slack) clearly
visible before tamping.
Figure 2: Tamping removed the
slack to restore the top.
Figure 3: Location of lifting unit components (Unimat universal tamping
machine illustrated).
Figure 4: Specialised lifting and aligning unit found on universal
tamping machines.
Figure 5: A typical lifting and aligning unit found on main-line
tamping machines.
10 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
PLASSERAIL
THE INS AND OUTS OF MECHANISED RAILWAY TRACK TAMPINGThis is the third in a series on mechanised track maintenance. In our March issue, the reader was introduced to the multiple aspects of the subject, an activity without which there would be no rail traffi c at all. The April instalment dealt with the topic where all maintenance starts - track condition monitoring and analysis. This month’s and subsequent articles describe the role of each of the mechanised track maintenance machines used on the South African rail network, to ensure that the track is reliable, available, affordable and safe.
by Leon Zaayman
3. Measuring SystemA fully automatic measuring system determines the relative
difference in the vertical and horizontal positions of the track at
a centre measuring trolley (vii) between two reference points, the
front (viii) and rear (ix) measuring trolleys. See Figure 6.
The relative vertical difference is established with the use of a
steel cord above each rail (x in Figure 6), extended from the rear
to the front measuring trolleys (see also Figure 7). The reference
line for horizontal alignment is a steel cord (xi in Figure 6),
extended along the centre of the track (see also Figure 8).
The lifting and aligning unit works together with the measuring
system to lift the track to a uniform height removing any vertical
defects in the process and to simultaneously slew the track to
correct any horizontal defects in the track.
To ensure a residual lift after tamping, research has shown that
the minimum lift should be around 20mm to provide enough
space under the sleepers to rearrange the ballast stones. The
machine will therefore lift the track uniformly by a pre-set lift
of approximately 20mm. Where a vertical defect (slack) is
encountered, the measuring system will detect the relative
vertical difference in height and lift the track by the pre-set
height as well as the depth of the slack. Refer to Figure 9.
The single use crucibleRail Welding
Thermitrex (Pty) Ltd
Tel: +27 (0)11 914 2540
Fax: +27 (0)11 914 2547
Email: clloyd@thermitrex.co.za
Website: www.thermitrex.co.za
PO Box 6070,
Dunswart,
Johannesburg,
Gauteng
South Africa
1508
The single-use crucible reduces the risk of human error. It is made from a bonded refractory material inserted in an easy-to-handle five-litre container. Welds are more consistent. As there is no drying or pre-heating, weld times are much shorter. And the single use crucible is safer and minimises environmental impacts.
Figure 6: Location of measuring system components (TOS universal
tamping machine illustrated).
Figure 7: Illustration of a vertical level (top) defect.
Figure 8: Illustration of a horizontal alignment defect.
Figure 9: The lifting principle.
PLASSERAIL
closure rail) during turnout tamping operations and eliminates
the need for cumbersome, manually placed track jacks, hydraulic
hose reels and the related labour and maintenance costs.
The standard two-point lift on the long sleepers on concrete
turnouts leads to overstressing and damage to the rail fastenings,
due to the weight of the long sleeper, the added weight of the
turnout rails as well as the turning moment caused by the long
sleeper being lifted at one end. The entire load is carried by the
fastenings of the two rails (see Figure 12).
An additional synchronised lift at the curved closure rail
distributes the weight of the sleeper and rails across three lifting
points and eliminates the turning moment which reduces the
lifting force at the middle rail by almost half (see Figure 13). Third-
rail lifting devices are therefore essential in tamping turnouts on
concrete sleepers.
5. Tamping UnitsIt is the tamping units [Figure 3 (ii)] that carry out the main
function of the tamping machine. Figure 14 provides a schematic
illustration of the tamping process in four simplifi ed steps.
Step 1 – A basic tamping machine indexes forward and comes to
a standstill with the tamping tines of the tamping unit straddling
the sleeper on both sides.
Step 2 – The lifting and aligning unit lifts the track to a pre-
set minimum height while correcting any possible vertical and
horizontal defects in the track.
Step 3 – The tamping units are lowered. The vibrating tines enter
the ballast and stop at a predetermined depth. The tines are
vibrating in order to fl uidise the ballast stone, to permit it to
rearrange and settle in a dense matrix. Vibration also greatly
reduces the force required to penetrate the tamping tines into
the ballast.
Defects which are shorter than the cord length between the
front and rear measuring trolleys of the tamping machine can
be corrected successfully but if the defects are longer than the
cord length, the machine will follow these defects without
removing it.
Plasserail tamping machines therefore use laser or optical
equipment mounted on a mobile trolley (also called the ‘tachy’)
which is moved 100 to 150 metres ahead of the tamping machine
(see Figure 10), depending on geography and other conditions.
The tamping machine is then guided by a straight line which is
aimed at a target board on the front measuring trolley [also called
the ‘voorwagen’, see Figure 6 (xii)]. When the machine moves
forward, the lifting and aligning wires are adjusted via remote
control so that the reticule of the viewfi nder is lined up with the
marks on the target board. This effectively lengthens the cord
length to the distance between the rear measuring trolley of the
machine and the position of the ‘tachy’. This provides utmost
accuracy in the vertical and horizontal alignment of the track and
is generally referred to as design lifting and aligning.
The measuring system can be supplemented with a computer-
based system (the WIN-ALC) which can be used to measure the
track and for automatic calculations and setting of the offsets
in curves.
4. Third-Rail Lifting DeviceModern universal tamping machines are fi tted with a hydraulically
operated, telescopic third-rail lifting system on either side of the
machine [see Figure 3 (vi) and Figure 11] which is synchronised
with the combined lifting and aligning unit. This clamp assembly
provides controlled lift of the outside turnout rail (the curved
Figure 10 : The use of optical or laser equipment to permit removal of long
wave defects.
Figure 11 : Third-rail lifting device.
Figure 13: With three-rail lifting.
Figure 12: Without three-rail lifting.
12 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
PLASSERAIL
Step 4 – The cylinder assembly exerts a force on the tine arms
which perform a squeezing motion of the tines. The tines compact
ballast underneath the sleeper in the void created by the lifting
process. The tamping machine indexes forward to the next sleeper
and the process repeats itself.
Due to the variety of requirements for tamping such as production
capabilities, specialised units for tamping turnouts etc, a large
variety of tamping unit designs are available. The following are
features that set the different tamping units apart:
(i) Number of sleepers tamped per cycleThe number of sleepers that are tamped per cycle (insertion)
determines the production capability of the machine. Single
sleeper tamping machines are still very common since high
production is not always required and a lower production at a
lower machine price can be preferred for some applications. Such
as spot maintenance.
The machine price must however not be confused with unit price
of production since higher production machines may be more
expensive than lower production machines, though their unit cost
of production is actually lower.
The latest tamping machines by Plasser & Theurer can tamp up to
four sleepers per cycle and are the fastest machines available in
the world. The 09-3X which tamps three sleepers per cycle is the
fastest machine in South Africa.
(ii) Tine confi gurationThe tamping tine is the wear component of a tamping unit which
enters the ballast and packs it underneath the sleeper. Most of
the tines currently in use are made of drop-forged special steel
with carbide plates at their exposed surfaces. The tine plate at the
bottom end of the tine is the wear component. Once the plate has
worn past a specifi ed percentage of area, the tine is replaced.
Tamping units are either equipped with 4 or 8 tines per rail as can
be seen in Figure 16 and Figure 17. The tine plates (tips) on 4-tine
Step 1
The tamping machine stops over
the sleeper to be tamped.
Step 2
Lifting units lift the rail and sleeper
to pre-determined height.
Step 3
Tines enters ballast and stops at
pre-determined depth.
Step 4
Cylinder assembly performs squeezing
action and compacts ballast in the void.
Figure 14: Tamping process description.
Figure 15: Examples of tamping unit layouts.
Single sleeper Two sleeper Three sleeper Four sleeper
Figure 16: 4-tine units. Figure 17: 8-tine units.
14 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
PLASSERAIL
This type of unit is only available in four tines (per rail) confi guration
in South Africa due to our limited gauge and the size of these units.
See also Figure 16.
Split Units: Split tamping units are in principle longitudinally
divided in two (fi eld side and gauge side), and can be raised and
lowered individually for unparalleled versatility (vertical split). See
Figure 19. Each one of the total of four units can be lowered and
put into action separately from the other. Furthermore, some split
units can individually be displaced laterally as well (horizon split) to
fi nd the best area in the restricted track to enter the ballast. The
split units can be locked together in which case they will act like
conventional main line tamping units. See also Figure 17.
units are however larger to make up for the fewer tines and provide
similar compaction characteristics as 8-tine units.
(iv) Specialised turnout tamping unitsIn turnouts where track is restricted, some of the tines may hit
an obstruction such as the switch blade or curved closure rail
of the turnout portion. Plasserail universal tamping machines
therefore have specialised tamping units to reach in between
restricted spaces. Two basic designs are used, either tilting tines
or split units.
Tilting tines: Tamping units equipped with tilting tines avoid
hitting rails that may obstruct one set of tines by tilting those tines
out of the way. See Figure 18.
International Railway
Industry Standard
R A I L V E H I C L E S Y S T E M S
Knorr-Bremse S.A. Pty. Ltd.
3 Derrick Road (Corner Green Road)
1610 Spartan
Phone: +27 11 961 7800 Fax: +27 11 975 8249
Knorr-Bremse South Africa (Pty) Ltd (KBSA) has had IRIS certification since January 2009 and has just successfully passed not
only a re-certification but also an upgrade audit against revision 2 valid from 5 January 2011. KBSA is the first and only company
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GM
571_PRESSLINK
Figure 18 : The use of tilting tines to avoid tines hitting turnout rails. Figure 19: The use of split units to avoid tines hitting turnout rails.
PLASSERAIL
working on the South African rail network, tamp three sleepers
per cycle and achieve a production rate of up to 60 sleepers per
minute. This equates to 2.2 kilometres tamped per hour.
The continuous action principle was traditionally used only on
main-line tamping machines. The open line tamping speed of
universal tamping machines was therefore always limited to that
of single sleeper index tamping machines. In 2006, Plasserail
combined continuous action tamping with two sleeper split
tamping units with integrated dynamic stabilisation on the 09-24
6. Auxiliary Satellite Frame for Continuous Action Tamping
A tamping machine must be moved from sleeper to sleeper for
the tamping operation. The machine must therefore accelerate
and brake again between sleepers. This is referred to as index
tamping. Though this principle is still used on many modern
tamping machines, its production capability is limited due to the
acceleration and braking limitations of heavy on-track machines
using steel wheels on steel rail. The acceleration and braking is also
very uncomfortable for the operator of the machine and causes
fatigue to set in very quickly at higher tamping rates. The limit for
index tamping is around 33 sleepers per minute. Therefore, only
lower production, lower cost and specialised tamping machines use
index tamping.
In 1983, Plasser & Theurer introduced the fi rst continuous
action tamping machine which produced 30% more than the
fastest machine available at the time. This was achieved by the
separation of the main frame and an auxiliary satellite frame
on which the tamping units were mounted (see Figure 20). This
allows continuous motion of the main frame while the cyclic
braking and acceleration for the tamping action is performed by
the auxiliary frame. Only around 20% of the machine mass must
therefore be braked and accelerated.
When this principle is combined with multiple sleepers tamped
per insertion, very high tamping rates are possible. The 09-3X
continuous action tamping machines, of which there are two
Think Coogar®
GM532_AP Presslink
Figure 20: The 09-3X continuous action tamping machine with the tamping
units mounted to a separate auxiliary frame.
16 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
PLASSERAIL
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© 2010 The Timken CompanyTimken® and Where You Turn® are registered trademarks of The Timken Company.www.timken.com
machine is standing on the straight portion of the turnout.
Machines with double slewing tamping unit frames therefore
require only one pass to tamp the turnout and also avoid an
occupation of the adjacent line.
(ii) Rotating tamping unit framesAn additional feature of modern universal tamping machines is
the rotation of the tamping units through the angle of the skew
sleepers of the turnout. These tamping units are mounted to
a turntable that ensures right angles to the sleeper when the
turnout portion is tamped. This avoids potential squaring of the
skew sleepers and improves production times.
8. WheelbaseWheelbase refers to the distance between the centre of the
bogies or two single axles of the tamping machine. During the
tamping process, the track is lifted at the lifting unit by at least
20mm to ensure a residual lift. Where a slack (vertical defect) is
encountered, the lift becomes progressively more by the depth of
the defect as illustrated in Figure 9 above.
The importance of wheelbase is illustrated in Figure 25 which
shows the maximum rail stress vs the lift applied by the machine
Dyna-CAT universal tamping machine to provide the best possible
production rates on turnouts. High production rates are achieved
on the open line as well.
7. Specialised Tamping Unit Frames for Turnout Tamping
(i) Slewing tamping unit framesThough tilting or split units prevent tines from hitting obstructions
in turnouts, the areas between the obstructions must also be
tamped for which purpose universal tamping machines need
slewing tamping unit frames. These allow the tamping units to
slide laterally across the track, to fi nd the best place for entering
the ballast.
Depending on the machine model, the tamping unit frames slide
on guide columns to allow either double slewing (Figure 21) or
single slewing (Figure 22) reach. On double slewing systems
the guide columns are mounted to an auxiliary frame which can
be slewed beyond the frame of the machine. Refer to Figure 23
for the maximum reach achieved with double (a) or single (b)
slewing tamping unit frames.
For high production in turnouts, double slewing tamping unit
frames are required to reach the turning out portion while the
Figure 21 : Double slewing tamping unit frame.
Figure 22 : Single slewing tamping unit frame.
Figure 24: Skew sleepers in the crossing section.
Figure 23: Maximum reach of universal tamping machines to the turnout
section (a) double slewing reach (Unimat) and (b) single slewing reach.
(a)
(b)
18 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
PLASSERAIL
maximum rail stress is exceeded due to the bending radius of
the rail. Considering that the minimum maintenance lift by a
tamping machine is already around 20mm, a 6 metre wheelbase
machine will not be able to even lift out a slack exceeding 20mm
in one pass. Machines with a wheelbase of at least 10 metres
would be required to ensure that deep slacks can be rectifi ed
in one pass, albeit with more than one tamp, to ensure high
production.
9. ConclusionTamping is the most frequent of mechanised maintenance
activities on the track and therefore warrants a great deal of
understanding regarding the variety of machines and features
available together with their application to ensure that the end
user gets the most cost-effective and effi cient machine for money
spent.
The article in the next issue of Railways Africa will deal with the
science behind track tamping. The tamping processes used
today have been thoroughly researched by various prominent
international academics, to ensure effi ciency and durability.
at the lifting unit and is the result of research done by Plasser &
Theurer on tangent track with UIC60 rails and concrete sleepers.
The position of the EN Standard limit (45 kN/cm2) for the
maximum rail stress in UIC60 rails is indicated on the graph. The
EN standard is used in South Africa as well. The UIC standard
limit which is much lower is also indicated.
Tamping machines with different wheelbases were then used to
lift the rail, the rail stress established and the results plotted.
The graph clearly shows that tamping machines with a 6 metre
wheelbase cannot lift more than approximately 40mm before the
Figure 25: Maximum rail stress versus lift applied by tamping machine.
PLASSERAIL
has the capacity to build the number of trains required. Instead,
fi rms from South Korea and Spain are vying for the contract.
Unfortunately, Quinn says, New Zealand doesn’t have the capacity
to build the required number of new trains quickly and cheaply
enough.
LAST SUPPER ON EAST COAST MAIN-LINEAfter 132 years of service, East Coast trains in the UK have lost
their dining cars. First-class passengers will still get a meal at
their seat as part of the ticket price but there will no longer be a
dining car on any service between London and Scotland on either
the east or west coast main-lines. Standard-class passengers,
says the BBC, will see the end of “one of the loopholes of intercity
travel because up until now they could board a train, and for the
price of a meal, go and eat in fi rst-class surroundings”. East Coast
chair Elaine Holt says the current catering operation is losing £20
million a year and as this is a railway company currently owned by
the government, it is taxpayers’ money which is being lost.
At about 17:50 on 19 May, a Metrorail commuter train from
Johannesburg ran past two red signals. It then rear-ended Soweto
Business Express #2, which had stopped at a signal between the
Mzimhlophe and Phomolong stations in Soweto. Due apparently to
the speed at which the collision took place, an incredible number
of injuries – 857 - were reported (see page 42 in this issue).
Following up the incident two weeks later, Sunday Times writer
Chris Barron concluded: “South Africa’s rail safety is a train smash.
The latest fi gures we have show that between 2008 and 2009
there were 5,307 rail accidents in which 1,932 people were
injured, and 434 people killed.
“Headlines tell us that the rail safety regulator is going to ‘crack
the whip’, but why should we take them seriously this time? I was
hoping to ask the CEO, Kethabile Moyo, this question but after
undertaking to do an interview she did a vanishing act. As only
the acting CEO, she apparently was not confi dent enough to
answer questions about rail safety.
“Instead I was directed to the Chairman, Brenda Madumise, who
does the job on a part-time basis, in gaps of her full-time job as a
consulting advocate, and therefore might seem even less qualifi ed
to explain what the rail safety regulator has been getting up to
since [it was created in] 2002.
“My fi rst question is why a body charged with such a critically
important, indeed life-or-death, role, has an acting CEO who is so
unsure of herself she cannot take questions from the media? It is
because the [former] CEO, Mosenngwa Mofi , resigned in January,
says Madumise.
“Moyo, who previously was legal advisor to the organisation,
was merely put in to plug the gap. She is ‘not yet ready to
lead an organisation of this size’, says Madumise, which is an
interesting observation coming from the chair of the board which
appointed her.
JOB CUTS FOLLOW ROLLING STOCK IMPORTSA decision to import new rolling stock has resulted in up to 70 staff
being retrenched at New Zealand’s KiwiRail. CEO Jim Quinn says
future contracts for new trains and carriages have been given to
overseas fi rms. “We have a very fi nite amount of money and we
need to make sure we buy the most we can and unfortunately
we’ve been unable to be price competitive with manufacturers
who have massive-scale plants and massive buying power,” he
told Newstalk ZB.
Opposition politician Metiria Turei blames the move on transport
minister Steven Joyce’s decision to allow a NZ$500 million
contract to build new carriages
to be tendered overseas. Alliance
Party spokesman Trevor Hanson
says local workers are suffering
from “bad free-trade policies”.
He says KiwiRail doesn’t need to
look overseas, as New Zealand
“Why was there no succession plan in place [Barron asked] to
ensure a timely transition to the top job of someone properly
qualifi ed for it? ‘Because he didn’t retire, he resigned,’ says
Madumise. ‘And you can never *know if someone is going to
resign, can you? We never knew he was going to resign.’
“His contract was only due for renewal in September 2011, so
why did he resign? ‘He was looking for greener pastures or he was
looking for something different,’ she says. ‘Who knows?’”
Well, somebody must have known, as the “greener pastures”
were a lot nearer home than Advocate Madumise implied. Former
Rail Safety Regulator CEO Mosenngwa Mofi may have resigned
in effect, but getting into his new “different” job seems to have
entailed little more than a slightish nudge sideways. Sideways
into the hot seat at Metrorail, no less. Mosenngwa Mofi , you see,
happens to be the name of their new CEO.
All of which begs Barron’s question - “Why was there no
succession plan in place to ensure a timely transition to the top
job of [rail safety regulator] of someone properly qualifi ed for it?”
Metrorail could hardly have been desperate to fi ll their position –
it didn’t exist before Mofi was appointed.
Kiwirail Chinese-built diesel loco.
OPINION – AND THE WIDER WORLD
20 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
PETE THE PUNDIT At home and around the world
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
MAGLEV FOR TOKYO-OSAKAConstruction of the long proposed 500km Japan Central Railway
Chuo Shinkansen maglev line between Tokyo and Osaka is to go
ahead. Environmental assessments are in progress for the route
through the Southern Alps to the north of Mount Fuji. It is intended
to start building in the fi nancial year beginning 1 April 2014.
The project is intended to relieve the existing Tokaido high-speed
Shinkansen expresses, halving journey times between the three
principal cities. Nagoya would be only about 40 minutes from
Tokyo and Osaka 67 minutes.
The existing superconducting maglev test track in Yamanashi
prefecture, which will form part of the new line, is being extended
from 18.4km to 42.2km, and is due for completion in 2012. The
railway has ordered a “pre-production” fl eet of 14 Series L0 maglev
vehicles for the extended
test track, which will be
delivered by 2015. The
290km initial section of
the maglev line between
Tokyo and Nagoya is
expected to open in
2027, but service on the
remainder of the line to
Osaka is unlikely to start
before 2045.
COURT OKs CAB CAMERASA Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has dismissed
allegations in a lawsuit fi led by Metrolink train drivers who
challenged the installation of video cameras in locomotive cabs.
The move was prompted by the deadly Chatsworth crash in 2008,
when a driver who was sending text messages on his cellphone
overshot a red signal and collided head-on with a freight train.
Twenty-fi ve people died and more than 100 were injured.
Judge Luis A. Lavin found no evidence that the Southern California
Regional Rail Authority, which operates the fi ve-county Metrolink
commuter rail service, had violated its drivers’ constitutional
rights to privacy and due process.
The judge ruled that the drivers were not denied due process
under their collective bargaining agreement because the railway’s
disciplinary procedures did not change after the cameras were
installed. He also ruled that the union could not establish that
the cameras represented a “true abuse of power,” a requirement
for a due-process violation.
Belgium’s 3.4km solar tunnel.
BELGIUM’S MEGAWATT TUNNELA fi rst in Europe, Belgium’s “solar tunnel” comprises 3.4km of line near Antwerp, part of the high-speed line connecting Paris and Amsterdam. The tunnel roof has been covered with 16,000 solar PV panels, an area of roughly 50,000m2. The panels will generate an estimated 3.3MWh of electricity a year (calculation based on the forecast of the average sunshine in north Belgium), equivalent to the average annual electricity consumption of nearly 1,000 homes, and will decrease CO
2 emissions by
2,400 tonnes per year. The electricity will be used to power the railway infrastructure (signalling, lighting, heating of railway stations etc) and trains using the Belgian rail network. 4,000 trains per year – equivalent to one full day of rail traffi c – will be able to run entirely on solar energy. Belgium-based renewable energy company Enfi nity fi nanced, developed and built the solar tunnel project, at a cost of around £14 million.
Enfi nity UK head Bart van Renterghem explains that Solar PV has one big advantage compared to other renewable energy technologies: “You are making use of assets that weren’t productive before, using technology which does not create any sound, which has almost no visual impact, deliverable on a short time frame.” Also, he says. “I don’t know any renewable energy technology where you can start developing and realising the project and getting it operational within one year.”
Existing 18.4km Yamanashi maglev test
track which will form part of the new
Tokyo-Osaka line.
Los Angeles head-on collision between a Metrolink commuter train and a
BNSF freight consist near Chatsworth in 2008.
21Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
OPINION – AND THE WIDER WORLD
independent of speed, making the system particularly suited for
high-speed applications. Eddy-current brakes reduce not only
wear but also emissions of particulate matter and noise from rail
vehicles, so they are also particularly environmentally friendly.
In addition, using eddy-current brakes helps cut costs at the rail
infrastructure construction stage. For instance, the combination
of friction brakes and frictionless braking enables trains to
handle steeper gradients, which reduces the need to build tunnels
and bridges.
Knorr-Bremse’s Dr Stefan Haas donated the prize money to the
company’s Global Care organisation, to help fund construction
of a kindergarten in Rwanda. The aim of Global Care is to offer
sustained support to individuals who – through no fault of their
own – are in need as a result of environmental catastrophes,
accidents, armed confl ict, poverty or illness.
CN’s L O O O N G LOCOSeen on Newstalk650.com:“A passing train has become a serious pain to morning traffi c in
the Canadian city of Regina. In recent weeks, a locomotive
between 6,000 and 8,000 feet long has been coming along the
CN rail line just after 07:30. It’s a rail line that cuts off traffi c
along many of city’s major north to south arteries which include
McCarthy, Albert, Broad, and Winnipeg streets as well as the
Ring Road. Drivers say they often sit idle in their vehicles for over
ten minutes.”
[6,000 feet work out at the best part of 2km. That’s one mighty long
locomotive. – Editor Railways Africa.]
The judge also dismissed the privacy-invasion allegation, saying
that the union cannot reasonably expect to establish that the
cameras are highly offensive and violate social norms. Lavin also
said the camera installation was prompted by the legitimate goals
of protecting the public and determining the cause of any accident.
KNORR-BREMSE’S EDDY-CURRENT BRAKE WINS AWARDThe European Railway Award has been presented annually since
2007 for outstanding services to the railway sector. The award is
made in two categories, “technical achievements” and “political
achievements”, each of which carries a purse of €10,000. The
Community of European Railways (CER), the Association of the
European Rail Industry (UNIFE), and the European Rail Infrastructure
Managers (EIM) recently presented Knorr-Bremse Austria with
the 2011 award in the “technical achievements” category for the
development and industrialisation of the eddy-current brake.
The eddy-current brake has been in commercial service for nine
years in ICE 3 trainsets in Germany and abroad and is also installed
in the latest Velaro platform.
The principle of the linear eddy-current brake was fi rst described
back in the 19th century by the French physicist Léon Foucault.
However, before Knorr-Bremse was able to launch an eddy-
current brake for rail vehicles in commercial operation there were
numerous technical challenges to be resolved, not least in terms
of braking force limits, signalling compatibility, power supply,
availability, and mechanical installation in the bogie.
Now an industrialised product, the linear eddy-current brake
makes an ideal complement for conventional friction brakes and
regenerative brakes. The eddy-current brake enables a braking
force to be applied regardless of wheel-rail adhesion. It is not
subject to wear and the braking forces remain almost constant,
PO Box 9375, Centurion0046, South Africa
105 Theuns St. , Hennopspark, Centurion, 0157, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0)12 653-4595Fax: +27 (0)12 653-6841www.vherail.co.za
OPINION – AND THE WIDER WORLD
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ANGOLACUANZA RIVER BRIDGEThe little town of Cuanza lies 739km from Lobito on Caminhos
de ferro de Benguela (CFB). At this point, the line crosses the
Cuanza River. In 1925, contractors George Pauling and company
spanned the watercourse with a combined road and rail bridge
comprising four 42-metre spans – the longest bridge on the railway.
The structure was destroyed during the civil war but has been
replaced recently with new road and rail bridges.
STEAM LOCOS AT CATETEA recent visitor to Catete, 65km east of Luanda on the CFL main-
line, found four locomotives still intact after a “massive cut-up
operation”. The locos seen were Henschel 4-8-0 no 156, an
unidentifi ed Armstrong-Whitworth 4-8-0, Beyer-Peacock 4-8-2
+ 2-8-4 no 501 and Krupp 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 no 554. It is hoped that
their survival suggests a possibility they may be preserved.
EGYPTCONTACTLESS TICKETS FOR CAIROCairo Metro has awarded Spanish engineering company Idom a
contract involving the implementation of contactless ticketing on
its two metro lines. The new system will optimise management of
the high passenger fl ow experienced on Lines 1 and 2 and will be
interoperable with the planned Line 3. This will link Cairo Airport
with the city’s western district, as well as the Egyptian National
Railways and other modes of transport.
The city has a population of approximately 17 million. The
metro currently transports more than 3 million passengers per
day. A public enterprise resorting under Egypt’s ministry of
transport, Cairo Metro is undergoing expansion, renovation and
modernisation of its entire network.
Repair work to the Cuanza River Bridge on Caminhos de Ferro de Benguela
(CFB). Photo courtesy Anton van Schalkwyk.
Unusual-looking, Krupp-built 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 Garratt no 555 photographed
by Charlie Lewis in 1970. Sister loco 554 was recently reported as having
escaped cutting at Catete.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) SOUTH AFRICAN EXPATRIATE
An ex-South African class 35 4xx diesel,
now owned and operated by Société
Nationale des Chemins de fer Congolais
(SNCC – the state railway in the Democratic
Republic of Congo). Photo: C van Wyk.
Cairo metro.
26 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
AFRICA UPDATEAFRICA UPDATE
AFRICA UPDATE
“Launched in l854, the Egyptian railways were the fi rst in Africa and
the Middle East and worldwide only the second after Great Britain.
Today the network connects the densely populated areas of the
Nile Delta and Upper Egypt with Cairo and Alexandria, accounting
for a big percentage of local passenger transport.
“According to its users, the l56-year-old service has reached a
stage where it has to undergo comprehensive modernisation,
despite projects implemented and promises made by successive
governments. Passengers using sleeper and luxury express trains
might not be as resigned as third class passengers who have
no other option but to board carriages lacking any degree of
cleanliness and regard for basic human requirements.
“Travelling on trains in Upper Egypt is a particularly harrowing
experience with nothing but torture, but nevertheless the
overcrowding pinpoints the fact that the railways are indispensable
for poor passengers.
“According to the railway schedule at the main Ramsis station,
30 trains head daily to the south; l4 are for low fare passengers
only, commonly known as “trains of the poor”. While these
trains already get completely crammed at Ramsis station, more
passengers jump on at the second stop in Giza, creating a
catastrophic situation.
“Passengers using these trains on a daily basis include university
students, peasants, civil servants and small traders. These trains
hardly ever come on time, and for this very reason the waiting
passengers elbow their way through the crowds to board the
trains. Though railway offi cials are aware that a carriage with a
seating capacity of l20 is boarded by no less than 500, little is
done to exercise control or increase the number of carriages on
heavily frequented lines.
“The entire scene totally horrifi es outside observers, although
passengers seem to be used to their plight. While some suit
themselves well on the fl oor, others take refuge in the upper
luggage compartments (shelves) and have a good nap until they
reach their designated stops.
“Vendors on trains pose another serious problem, since the items
they sell, particularly food and drinks, are not subject to any kind of
hygienic supervision. The condition of the trains themselves is no
secret to offi cials, drivers, commuters and potential passengers.
With open doors and broken windows that allow dust inside the
train, torn seats and fi lthy fl oors, passengers have to bear the few
hours it takes to reach their destination. Industrial safety measures
on these trains are another challenge, which the Railway Authority
is required to face, considering the high risk in these overcrowded
carriages.
“Sayeda Hassan, a woman from Upper Egypt, who has no choice
but to take the overcrowded train to visit her son in a nearby
town, recounts how she has to bear the daily torture, since she
cannot afford another means of transport. She does not mind
sitting on the fl oor, as “it is better than to stand the whole way to
el-Wassta” where she is going.
“Mohamed Saad, another regular passenger on the Cairo-Upper
Egypt line, is annoyed by smokers who blow smoke into the faces
of other passengers. He urges strict implementation of the anti-
smoking law, particularly now in this post-revolution period, when
growing concern for respecting the law is gaining momentum.
“According to Ahmed Abu Zeid, a train driver on the Upper Egypt
line, the German engines in use have outlived their time. He
warned that owing to lack of spare parts, these engines were
likely to break down and come to a dead halt at any moment.”
EGYPTIAN TRAIN MISERYSamar Ali Ezzat writes in The Gazette Online (published in Cairo):
KENYARVR TIMETABLE CHANGESRift Valley Railways (RVR) has reduced the number of stops made
by commuter trains on the Ruiri-Nairobi route. Those at Kihunguru
and Kahawa were eliminated in mid-May, to the dismay of residents.
At the same time, two additional stops have been added – at
Kasarani and Maili Saba. According to passengers, stopping at Maili
Saba is dangerous because of the hilly area.
In terms of the new schedule, the train proceeds from Githurai to
Kasarani, then Maili Saba, Dandora, Kariobangi South, Mutindwa
and Makadara to Nairobi.
RVR chairman Brown Ondego explains that the two stopping
places were dropped because of the short distance the train was
covering between one stop and the next. “Some of the stages did
not make sense at all,” Odengo says. “We are removing the stages
that are dangerous.” He adds that RVR is reducing the morning
passenger pick-up time from 05:30 to 06:00.
BOND ISSUE FOR NAIROBI COMMUTER LINKThe government - principal shareholder in Kenya Railways
Corporation (KRC) - is preparing a Sh17.2 billion bond issue to
fi nance upgrading of the Nairobi commuter rail system.
The corporation plans to build a Sh1 billion, 7km link from the
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to the city centre in a bid to
ease Nairobi’s infamous traffi c jams. The project is part of KRC’s
master plan, which seeks to overhaul the entire system in the
country by 2050.
Director-general of Vision 2030 secretariat Mugo Kibati says a
cabinet paper on the proposed issue has been prepared and is
awaiting approval. The bond has been marketed already to both
local and international investors. According to Kibati, the project
is to be fully fi nanced by proceeds from the issue while the cost
of purchasing coaches estimated at between Sh10.3 billion and
Sh12.9 billion would have to be incurred by the “eventual operator”
of the system.
Treasury has allocated Sh1.9 billion this fi scal year for a proposed
upgrade of the Nairobi commuter rail system. The fi rst phase,
which is being funded by the exchequer, includes the provision of
a new station at Syokimau, and the acquisition of rolling stock. The
Sh250 million Syokimau station (on which construction has begun)
– is planned to serve as a link between road transport and the
railway. It is to have a drop off and pick up point for public service
vehicles and parking space for 1,000 cars.
AFRICA UPDATE
27Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
CHINESE $4.6BN DEAL WITH KENYA RAILWAYSJaindi Kisero writes in The East African:
“Construction company China Roads and
Bridge Corporation has successfully lobbied
Kenya to pull out of a bilateral agreement
signed with Uganda in October 2008. The
agreement committed the two neighbours
to co-operate on the building of a modern
railway link between the port of Mombasa
and Kampala.
“If the proposal by China Roads is accepted,
it will not only precipitate diplomatic
tensions, but force Uganda into seeking
partnership with Tanzania and Rwanda
to develop an alternative standard gauge
railway link through the Central corridor in
Tanzania.
“On 28 October 2008, presidents Yoweri
Museveni of Uganda and Mwai Kibaki of
Kenya made an offi cial declaration at State
House, Nairobi, that the two countries
would build a high-capacity, standard gauge
railway link between them.
“Subsequently, a bilateral agreement was
signed by the respective ministries dealing
with railways on 2 October 2009 — with
the countries committing to a seamless
modern railway between them. Kenya
was — from its own resources — to build a
standard gauge railway from Mombasa to
Malaba, with Uganda building the link to
Kampala.
“Last year, Kenya went ahead and provided
money in its annual budget to fund
preliminary designs and an environmental
impact assessment. Technical teams
from the Kenya and Uganda governments
worked together to harmonise the terms of
reference for the feasibility studies in line
with what had been agreed on under the
bilateral agreement.
“In the past two years, both countries have
been trying to procure a consultant for a
feasibility study on the project. However,
as a result of appeals and objections by
bidders, procurement of consultants by
both countries has suffered major delays.
“In March this year, the Kenya Railways
Corporation (KRC) which has been
procuring a consultant for the Kenyan
project was about to award the job to
Italian fi rm Italferr SPA, when the ministry
of transport ordered them to stop the
process immediately. ‘Since there is no
one in government who is in support of
the study, there is no need to proceed with
it,” said a letter by permanent secretary
Dr Cyrus Njiru to KRC managing director
Nduva Muli. ‘I have been directed to advise
you not to go ahead with this study as
this is not consistent with the consensus
within government.
“These latest developments offer insight
into the lobbying tactics and exploits by
Chinese companies. It would appear that
even as KRC technical offi cers and their
Ugandan counterparts were working on
the feasibility study — drawing terms of
references and holding joint meetings —
the Chinese were quietly plotting their
own move.
“Away from the limelight, the Chinese had
signed a memorandum of understanding
with then transport minister Chirau Ali
Mwakwere - in which they promised to
assist in facilitating a government-to-
government deal supported by concessional
loans from the Chinese government.
“The deal included an offer by the Chinese
to conduct a free feasibility study for
a standard gauge railway line between
Mombasa and Nairobi on condition that if
that study was adopted, China Roads and
Bridge Corporation would be involved in
the construction of the railway. By coming
up with a feasibility study covering the
Nairobi-Mombasa stretch, the Chinese left
Uganda out of the loop.
“In a letter dated 22 March 2011, the
ministry of transport simply dumped the
free feasibility study done by China Roads
and Bridge Corporation on the Ugandans,
and informed them that the Kenya
government had decided to go the route
of a government-to-government with the
Chinese.”
Kisero notes:“The Northern Corridor, anchored by the
port of Mombasa in Kenya, has an estimated
total cost of $US2.1 billion. The top priority
project list includes 18 projects - fi ve port,
fi ve rail and eight road improvements. The
projects are split almost equally between
the northern and central corridors in terms
of investment cost of $US 0.9 billion each.”
UGANDA
KENYA
TANZANIA
DodomaMorogoro
ArushaMwanza
MusomaKisumu
Bukavu
Bujumbura
Kigali
Kasese
Pakwach
Juba To Addis Ababa
TaboraKigoma Tanga
MombasaMoshi
Nairobi
EldoretTororo
BURUNDI
RWANDA
LEGENDProposed RailwayExisting Railway
Dar es Salaam
Proposed new rail lines in East Africa.
28 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
AFRICA UPDATE
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the development of Malawi, but also handle exports of the entire
copper belt region of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of
Congo. All the necessary production inputs could be imported
via Nacala.
In mid-April, Vale and the Malawian government signed a
memorandum of understanding in Lilongwe, prefacing the building
of a new 100km railway from a point east of Moatize to southern
Malawi, from where an existing line runs to Nacala.
Nacala is generally regarded as the best deep-water port on
the east African coast. It is a natural harbour that requires no
dredging, and can accommodate ships of any size. Despite these
enormous advantages, it is sadly underused.
This year, Agnelli said, Vale plans to sell 1.2 million tonnes of
coal. Next year the production target is 7 million tonnes, of which
4 million will be sold. Production and exports will be notched up
until Vale exports 22 million tonnes a year. “The constraints lie in
the port and the railways”, Agnelli explains. “So we have to
accelerate investment in the line from Moatize to Beira, and
accelerate the Nacala project. Nacala will be the future”.
Agnelli envisions exports up to 40 million tonnes a year eventually.
“The limitation is not the coal reserves, it’s not how much the
mine can produce”, he says. “The limitations are the railways and
the port. That’s why it’s fundamental to develop Nacala as soon
as possible”.
Agnelli expects it to take four or fi ve years to complete the $US4
billion’s worth of investment required in the new railway and in
upgrading Nacala harbour facilities. Vale intends to export to
Asian markets, notably China, to the Middle East, and eventually
Brazil. “The steel industry must produce to meet the needs of
urbanisation in Asia”, he points out. “It’s a gigantic process. In the
coming years we will see very strong demand for coking coal for
steel production”.
NIGERIA LAGOS LRT BLUE LINELagos State governor Babatunde Fashola has carried out a pre-
shipment inspection of rolling stock for the new light rail system.
The coaches are under construction in Canada. The 27km Blue
MOROCCOLIGHT RAIL OPENS IN RABATKing Mohammed VI of Morocco has commissioned the country’s
fi rst light rail tramway, which links the capital Rabat with its twin-
city Salé. Costing €318 million, the 20km system, comprising two
lines, was constructed within the framework of the Bouregred
Valley development project. (The Bouregred River separates the
two cities.). The objective is to ease congestion in crossing the
river and to bring the twin cities closer together.
The vehicles supplied as part of the project have low fl oors and
air-conditioning. The 580-passenger capacity per set is equivalent
to that of 10 to 12 buses. An hourly fare of €0.6 applies. The
number of people who will benefi t directly or indirectly is
estimated at 60 million passengers per year.
MOZAMBIQUENACALA ACCORDING TO VALEChairman of Brazilian mining giant Vale, Roger Agnelli, speaking
to reporters in Moatize, said the Nacala port and rail system in
northern Mozambique can be a major factor in the development
of sub-Saharan Africa. Nacala he said could not only facilitate
P
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PHay Karima
Tabriket
Atlantic
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Medina
Rabat
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River Bouregreg
Agdal
Carrefour Bettana
Gare RoutiéreRabat-Salé
Rabat-Ville
YacoubEl Mansour
Bab Al Irfane
University
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P
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Moulay ElHassan Bridge
Rabat light rail line.
30 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
AFRICA UPDATE
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20 Lautre Rd, Stormill, Roodepoort; P O Box 103 Maraisburg, 1700
Tel: (011) 761-2400 Telefax: (011) 474-3582 email: plasserail@plasser.co.za
“The North West Rail is an initial 254km line with stations,
sidings, weighbridges and loops from Chingola through Solwezi to
Lumwana with a second phase planned to extend it to Angola’s
Benguela line at point to be mutually agreed by authorities in
both Zambia and our oil-rich neighbouring country.
“The take-off point is from south of the bridge over the main
Chingola to Chililabombwe road, connecting the existing rail link
formerly owned by ZCCM, which feeds into the Railway Systems
of Zambia (RSZ) network. The line runs south of the Chingola-
Solwezi road up to 15km, and then crosses the road before
meandering through a number of watersheds on its way via
the chiefdoms of Kalilele and Mulonga, eventually entering the
Kansanshi mine area and terminating at Lumwana, 65km west of
Solwezi.
“An alternative route explored would have taken the rail from
Luano in Chingola across the Kafue Bridge into Chililabombwe
and over the watershed between the DRC and Zambia. This is the
old Copperbelt to Mwinilunga road; however, public opinion settled
for the current route.
“The urgency and need to lay rail line to connect North Western
province to the rest of Zambia and beyond the frontiers of this
country has never been more so than now.
“North Western province, with its vast natural resource wealth,
is currently witnessing unprecedented levels of foreign capital
being poured into the area. Many entrepreneurs and international
mining fi rms are positioning themselves to tap into the huge
reserves of copper, gold, iron and other mineral resources known
to exist in the area.
“Looking at the current trends, one would safely assume that
foreign direct investments into the mining sector in the area
would hit over $US6 billion in the next fi ve years, from the current
Line, to be operated by Ekorail, will run from Okokomaiko in the
west to CMS in Central Lagos. Work on the infrastructure is in
progress between the National Theatre in Iganmu and Mile 2.
All the columns for the elevated Alaba station concourse at
the Lagos end of the line have been cast and work on the
superstructure is under way. The planners envisage commuters
driving to stations and taking the train, instead of facing the
current nightmare of driving into town.
Though passenger train services from Lagos to Kano are
expected to resume at the end of the third quarter of 2011, the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Lagos district manager of
the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) John Dottie says contracts
for the rehabilitation of the western main-line from Lagos via
Jebba to Kano, which were awarded to two companies, are nearing
completion and should be ready by the end of the second quarter.
The contract for rehabilitation of the line from Lagos to Jebba
was awarded to the China Civil Engineering Construction
Company (CCECC), while that from Jebba to Kano was awarded to
Costain West Africa. “The Chinese company has assured us that
by the end of June, they are going to give us the section from
Lagos to Jebba,” Dottie says.
Reacting to the planned launch of rail services from Lagos to
Ilorin, which was aborted at Ibadan, Dottie said it was due to
unforeseen problems on the track. “We would have been able to
go from Lagos to Jebba, but during inspection of the tracks we
discovered some faults, and since we place safety fi rst, we had
to terminate the journey in Ibadan.”
Dottie said contracts for the eastern main-line have been awarded
to three companies - from China, Turkey and Nigeria. All have
been mobilised and are “on the ground”. Work is expected to be
completed in 10 months.
ZAMBIAZAMBIAN NORTH-WEST RAILWAYAccording to Zambian North West Rail Company (NWR) executive chairman Enoch Kavindele:
“The abundant natural resources including minerals of the North
Western Province have been known about for a long time, ever
since George Gray founded Kansanshi Mine in 1891.
“The discovery of copper at Lumwana by Rio Tinto and RST in 1961
failed to materialise into viable mining projects because of the
absence of regional infrastructure.
“It has always been observed that the upgrading of the highway,
construction of power lines and power generation in the province
would trigger off massive development. This is now becoming a
reality with the construction by Zesco of enhanced power lines
to the Kansanshi and Lumwana Mines, the development of the
Kabompo hydro power project by CEC and now the railway. The
sleeping giant that the province has been will now awaken to take
its rightful place in the economic development of the country.
ZAMBIA
NDOLA
LUBUMBASHI
COPPER BELT
Katanga Province
Chingola
Nkana/Kitwe
Mufulira
Mokambo
Sakania
Luanshya
To Kabwe
ZAMBIADEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF CONGO
N0 km 80 km 160 km
Existing railways in the Copperbelt.
32 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
AFRICA UPDATE
levels of slightly below $2 billion. The Chinese alone envisage an
investment of over $5 billion in the Mwinilunga mining project,
while an iron and ore project at Tika is also being touted.
“These planned projects are in addition to First Quantum Minerals’
plans to open the ‘Trident Mine’ at Kalumbila in Solwezi that is
expected to gobble over $1.1 billion.
“The agriculture potential of the area is also coming to the fore
as evidenced by a number of foreign entrepreneurs going into the
province to take advantage of the highly nutritious soils and good
rainfall patterns, to grow crops on a very large scale. Brazilian and
Zambian investors are looking at investing in a sugar estate to
produce biofuels, while Saudi Arabians have been granted 5,000
hectares to grow pineapples in Mwinilunga.
“The North Western province has weak connectivity currently to
the rest of the country, and in some cases it is non-existent. The
decision by the government of Zambia to reinstate the licence of
the North West Rail Company has attracted much interest, and
justifi ably so. This is going to be the biggest infrastructural project
to be driven by indigenous citizens in the history of Zambia.
“Some unique features of the project include the fact that the
locomotives will be powered by both electricity and diesel,
balancing the utilisation of the two sources of energy. To get
the project under way, we presented a viable project to various
fi nanciers and are delighted with the interest that we have
generated from key fi nanciers from within the region, Chinese,
US and Europe, with concrete fi nancial commitments from US
private equity funds.
“The responses continue to exceed our present needs by far.
Generating such level of interest has already involved thousands
of man-hours and signifi cant expenditure by the project sponsors
including an aerial survey, the pre-feasibility study and the
engaging of several local and international consultants.
“The cost of the line from Chingola to Lumwana is $500 million.
Our fi nanciers, especially those from the US, would like us to
include a spur to Kolwezi in the DRC and have undertaken to
provide additional funding and necessary support including
extra locomotives, rolling stock, signalling equipment and all the
necessary ingredients to ensure the project comes on stream.
Currently the various companies are dependent on the over-
burdened and - in most instances - dilapidated road network for
their bulk cargo.
“Given the complexity and magnitude of this project, experienced
international contractors and consultants have been identifi ed
to lead the project, while discussions have commenced with
Zambian sub-contractors.
“Although this project is a combination of debt and equity
fi nancing, mostly from foreign partners, the project is indigenously
driven and the doors remain open to other Zambians to participate
both in its execution and operation.
www.railwaysafrica.com
The ultimate aim will be to see NWR listing on the Lusaka Stock
Exchange to further involve the participation of ordinary Zambians.
“There is now available automated track-laying equipment
capable of laying 1km of rail line per day but we have opted to
utilise a combination of this technology and a local labour-force
to ensure employment is generated. In the two-year anticipated
construction period, this project is expected to create not less
than 4,000 direct jobs with an additional 10,000 jobs for support
staff such as caterers, food suppliers, suppliers of safety clothing,
gravel, ballast, cement, sleepers and many more.
“Historically, developments of rail lines to the resource-rich areas
have always been driven by private investors as was the case
when the British South Africa Company (BSA) of Cecil Rhodes built
the line from Livingstone to Chililabombwe, and Sussman Brothers
and Wulfson built the stretch from Livingstone to Mulobezi, to
transport timber.
“We are of course aware of Government’s concern about the
operations of RSZ and believe that an improved RSZ and Tazara
will be in the interests of investors in the NWR as well, since
synergies of working together will exist. And it is our hope that
RSZ and government will continue their dialogue in order to
continuously improve the state and performance of the main-line
between Livingstone and the Copperbelt.” Former National Railways of Zimbabwe class 15 Garratt no 398 - looking a
bit worse for wear after the long sea journey - has arrived safely at its new
preservation home in Paekakariki, North Island, New Zealand.
Photo: Reid McNaught.
ZIMBABWESTEAM ACTIVITY AT NRZReport by Chas Rickwood on zimrail:
The Bulawayo steam shed steam crane has been busy fi tting a
front tank to 20th class no 730 and it is now looking like a loco
again. Garratt 611 was in for washout after its trip out to Cement
on 17 May. No 395 was also undergoing washout and 416 was
idle. No 613 was out on the West End shunt.
Reports from the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) say that
hard water is a problem at most watering points on the north line.
This is mostly borehole water and recent rains have aggravated
the problem.
IS SHUNTING AND TRACK SWITCHING A PROBLEM?Surtees Railways Supplies, has the solutionTrackmobile Railcar, bi-model, road and rail movers have all the required
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CD46
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AFRICA UPDATE
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Tel: +27 (0)12 391 1304 Fax: +27 (0)12 391 1371 Email: sales@transnet.net
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TR
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ress
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On the continuously-welded tracks of the
Orex iron-ore and Richards Bay heavy-haul
coal lines, Transnet Freight Rail faces a
constant threat of trains derailing, often as
a result of broken rails.
As the trains are up to 3.7km long,
derailments are costly. Equipment and
infrastructure get damaged and signifi cant
delays are caused, explains Council for
Scientifi c and Industrial Research (CSIR)
materials science and manufacturing
division sensor science and technology
manager Jeremy Wallis.
Transnet contracted the Institute for
Maritime Technology (IMT) in Simon’s Town
to develop a broken-rail detector system
– one that could operate in real time and
remotely – in other words, something that
could be left unattended to do its work.
Railway lines are normally checked using a
specialised ultrasonic inspection vehicle,
as well as by personnel pushing portable
ultrasonic scanners along the rails. Both
procedures are labour and time-intensive.
IMT’s solution, achieved in partnership
with the CSIR, adapts underwater sonar
technology and neatly translates it for use
in places like the Northern Cape, where
temperatures can range from -10˚C to
50˚C.
A transducer is bolted on the rail. When
it vibrates, the rail itself vibrates at an
ultrasonic frequency nobody can hear. The
displacement of these vibrations is in the
nanometer range. The sound propagates
down the rail for a distance of up to 1.5km,
where the electronics check for the arrival
of a valid signal. Should a valid signal not
be detected within a set time-period,
an alarm is sent to the centralised train
control room,
This means that hundreds of kilometres
of rail can be monitored continuously and
remotely, with Transnet able to pinpoint the
section where a rail break has occurred.
The ultrasonic broken rail detection system
has been evaluated in service on Transnet
freight lines for a number of years, and
successfully detected a number of rail
breaks – two during last year alone –
thereby avoiding two potentially costly
derailments. Many others have tried, but
the Transnet/IMT/CSIR partnership is the
fi rst to get it working, says Wallis.
The system, which has attracted
considerable attention from the
international rail community, has been
tested in Canada, Hong Kong, on the New
York subway and (currently) in Japan. Some
tests were more successful than others,
Wallis admits, as rail tracks have different
shapes and lengths, and operate under
different ambient temperatures.
“We have worked to make it functional
on almost any line,” Wallis says. IMT has
registered patents on the overall system,
and CSIR is busy patenting key aspects
of the ultrasound technology. “We are
currently trying to secure funding to
present a fi nal, industrialised design. The
idea is to transfer the technology to a
commercial partner in the next two to three
years.”
Track on the Sishen-Saldanha heavy-haul ore line. Photo: TFR.
WELL DONE, SHOSH MEYL!From Nathan JC, posted on Hellopeter.com, 28 February 2011:
“I had to go to Pietermaritzburg urgently from Johannesburg. I got to Park Station only to
fi nd that all the buses were booked.
Someone suggested I try a train. I went to the Shosholoza Meyl booking offi ce. The lady that
assisted me was very professional and friendly. The booking was quick and simple.
“When I got to the train, there were people helping to carry your luggage and to show you
to your compartment. I found all the train’s facilities to be clean and comfortable. I did not
once feel insecure as there where plenty of security staff on the train.
“The train staff, from the train manager to the assistants, were professional, friendly and
eager to assist.
“Well done Shosholoza Meyl!”
36 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
RAIL NEWSSOUTH AFRICAN
SA RAIL NEWS
PERMANENT WAY FAULT DETECTIONAdapted from Engineering News:
“While most of the world were glued to their TVs on 29 April,
watching the royal couple taking their nuptials, I was out in the
country playing trains.
“Following a major derailment at Klapmuts on Easter Friday [see
under “Mishaps” on page 46], the main-line 47km north of Cape
Town was closed for three days. I was hoping to pick up some of
the trains clearing the backlog.
“I fi rst went to Klapmuts to look at the damage - wagons all over
the countryside. Work on the track and overhead was continuing.
“I travelled up the line with red signals in both directions at
all stations - not promising! I decided that if I saw nothing by
Hermon, I would shoot over to the Malmesbury line and
photograph whatever was moving there. At Hermon however, I
was greeted by the sight of a fearsome pall of smoke over the
station yard - two class 33s from Worcester were shunting a
long string of cement wagons that they had just brought off the
Riebeeck West branch. After setting out most of the load destined
for Bellville in sidings, they departed for Worcester with four DZs
of cement. They crossed a southbound freight at Hermon and I
snapped them as they came through Tulbagh Kloof (photo 1).
“Afterwards I went and had a look at Tulbagh Road station -
totally stripped. While I was there, the main-line signals winked
to green and the Cape Town- Johannesburg Shosh Meyl came
through. Both the economy and tourist classes are now combined
into one train (18 vehicles) - this makes economic sense and is
how things should have been run in the fi rst place, instead of
having two separate services.
“I followed the train through to Breërivier where the opposing
passenger express was crossed - and then back towards the
kloof. It proved impossible to follow the train - there are so many
trucks on the R44 road, it being the preferred alternative to the
north as it avoids the N1 tolls). This includes a large number of
grain-carrier road trucks - a commodity that should never have
been allowed to be lost by rail !! I still managed a good shot
of the train passing through Artois (photo 2) and another at
Hermon (photo 3).
“Then I went back to other side of Wolseley and gardened a spot
at one of the Breede River bridges in preparation for the
southbound Premier Classe. Everything looked good, but a solitary
pesky cloud killed the light as the train appeared. More trucks
held me up on the road and I just a managed a grab shot at
Artois but this time made it to the kloof (photo 4). It’s
interesting to see that a second car-carrier wagon is being used
on the train - this is a new SCJ commercial type and was not in
Shosh Meyl colours.
“The Premier Classe crossed another freight at Hermon, but
apart from the other freight train that was observed in the
morning, there was no goods traffi c moving – one assumes as an
effect of the extra, extra long weekend.
“I tried a few more shots southbound, but the previous pesky
cloud’s cousins conspired to ruin both chosen spots. Thereafter
I made enquiries at Wellington cabin but nothing was due for a
while (now of course with brilliant lighting) so I headed for home”.
OUT & ABOUT IN THE WESTERN CAPE From Peter Rogers:
1
2
3
4
SA RAIL NEWS
37Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
TRANSNET FLEET RENEWALPublic enterprises minister Malusi Gigaba, speaking to the South
Africa Chamber of Commerce, said the government is to fund
the procurement of “consistent and signifi cant quantities of both
electric and diesel locomotives annually over the next 15 years.”
The average age of Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) locomotives is
currently 33 years. “We need both to bring down the age of the
fl eet and add signifi cant capacity if we are to unlock TFR’s
customer growth potential and move goods from road to rail,”
Gigaba says.
TFR previously announced it will invest R52bn ($US 7.49bn) in
rolling stock and infrastructure in the years 2010-15, adding 304
new locomotives which will make up around 15% of the fl eet.
The government is keen to partner international suppliers with
South African manufacturers with the aim of more than doubling
local content in new locomotives. New sources of fi nance need to
be explored if capacity is to be further enhanced on the heavy-haul
ore and coal lines. Further investment is limited by the strength of
TFR’s balance sheet, Gigaba explains.
MONTANA ON PASSENGER RAIL CRISISThe Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has warned again of a
crisis if new trains are not introduced by 2014.
“If we don’t get new trains, our ability to transport [people] to
work will be greatly undermined,” Prasa chief executive Lucky
Montana told reporters in Johannesburg. “We have rolling stock
over 40 years old. The level of reliability of that fl eet is very low.”
Montana said Prasa has submitted a feasibility study on new rolling
stock to cabinet for approval. Once this is obtained, procurement
would begin.
“It is important to understand that while this is a process that
will be undertaken over an 18-year period, due to its magnitude,
the fi rst new trainsets will enter the passenger rail system in the
next three years - by 2014,” Montana explained.
Should this not happen, a crisis similar the one when Eskom had
power blackouts would hit the country. “We are going to have
another Eskom if the fi rst 350 coaches do not go into service in
2013. We cannot turn back from this. If there is any delay we are
going to be in trouble.”
The 8,600 coaches that would come into service over the next
18 years would be “completely modern, energy effi cient”, and
similar to the Gautrain. “We need at least 600 coaches to come
into our service a year, starting from 2014,” Montana said.
PRASA DIVERSIFIES SUPPLIERSPassenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) CEO Lucky Montana
told a media briefi ng in Johannesburg that the company’s
maintenance suppliers have been “diversifi ed”. Instead of relying
solely on Transnet Rail Engineering (TRE) for maintenance. Prasa
now has contracts with seven separate companies.
This rearrangement follows a long-running dispute between Prasa
and TRE over maintenance costs, which Montana says was not
settled fi nally until the end of 2010.
PRASA’S R97 BILLION OUTLAYOn 5 April. South African transport minister Sibusiso Ndebele
announced an impressive programme to procure new rolling stock
for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). To be rolled
out over 18 years, the declared aim is to reposition rail as the
“backbone” of public transport.
There has been more than usual disparity in fi gures reported
in the press, ranging from 6,000 to 8,600 new coaches to be
bought and 2,000 locomotives. As far as we can make out from
offi cial sources, the reality envisaged looks like this: For Metrorail
in the short term: 862 additional coaches; in the medium-to-
long-term 6,296 coaches. The possibility of multiple-unit diesel or
hybrid electric & diesel units is mentioned for the Eastern Cape
(a strategy, incidentally, recommended by consultants more than
20 years ago). For Shosholoza Meyl: 1,195 coaches (sleeper; sitter;
dining; catering/grill; power cars). A total of 124 locomotives
(not quite 2,000!) comprising 76 x 3kV DC; 21 x 25kV AC and 27
diesel-electric.
Our thanks to Peter Bagshawe for deciphering various documents
and websites.
MANAGEMENT IS THE PROBLEM – PRASAPassenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) CEO Lucky Montana
blames much of Metrorail’s reliability problems on “lazy and
unreliable managers”. He told a media briefi ng in Johannesburg:
“There have been numerous complaints and protest marches
about our service.”
A 12-month investigation showed that a lack of effective
management and supervision underlies Metrorail’s poor service
Prior to South Africa’s class 43 currently being delivered, no main-line
diesels had been acquired since these class 37 locos (EMD GT26M2C)
built in 1981 & 1982. Photo: Andre Kritzinger.
These 5M2A Metrorail sets are up to 40 years old. Photo: C Baker.
38 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
SA RAIL NEWS
Specialists in the manufacturing and refurbishing of all types of railway wheelsets for the Southern African
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WHEEL BUSINESS
Tel: +27 (0)12 391 1304 Fax: +27 (0)12 391 1371 Email: sales@transnet.net
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delivery. Because of a lack of proper supervision, accountability
and scheduling, both management and operating staff (including
train drivers) have been failing to report for work.
“We have heard the voices of commuters and have an action
plan aimed at improving their travel experience,” Montana says.
The plan he explains includes “cracking the whip on ill-disciplined
managers”. It has been decided to cut “about 200, or 30%” of
Prasa’s 500-strong middle management and supervisors, to rid
the company of what Montana calls “cheque takers”. Measures
are to be introduced immediately and will be reviewed after
three months.
[Meanwhile a new top post has been created under Montana: CEO
of Prasa-Rail, which consists of Metrorail and Shosholoza Meyl only.
Mosenngwa Mofi , previously CEO of the Railway Safety Regulator,
has been appointed. - Editor.]
COAL LINE SHUTDOWNTransnet Freight Rail’s coal line to Richards Bay was shut down
from 23 May to 11 June 2011 for a 20-day planned maintenance
operation. This was reported by the government information
service publication Buanews, quoting railway spokesman
Sandile Simelane.
The report added: “The 580km coal line, which starts in
Mpumalanga and runs through KwaZulu-Natal to Richards Bay, is
fully electrifi ed with two 100-wagon trains, with one 200-wagon
train at Ermelo.”
[Only three trains? Go fi gure. – Editor: Railways Africa.]
Tel: +27 11 794-2910 | Fax: +27 11 794-3560 | Email: info@yalejhb.co.za | Web: www.yalejhb.co.za
The Witblitz fast container train, seen hurrying through the Western Cape
19 years ago behind two class 38 electro-diesels. Even the Blue Train was
sidelined to let the Witblitz overtake. Photo: Editor.
CUTTING 6 HRS OFF JBG-CTPassenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) CEO Lucky Montana says the slow speed of existing Shosholoza Meyl trains between Johannesburg and Cape Town “will never work”. The line is capable of sustaining speeds between 140 and 160km/h and that, he says, is how fast these expresses should be travelling: “It would cut six hours off the present schedule”.
(As a matter of fact, the “Witblitz” fast container train managed this twenty years ago, even though CTC was not as continuous as it is now. ie very nearly all the way.)
40 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
SA RAIL NEWS
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PRASA COMPENSATION “VOLUNTARY”Compensation by the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) for
victims of two recent serious accidents – one north of Pretoria and
the other in Soweto - is on a “voluntary” basis, says spokeswoman
Nana Zenani. Anyone opting for settlement has to sign an
agreement that they would not pursue further legal claims.
However she explained: “The fi nancial assistance is separate from
medical costs which are being covered entirely by Prasa”.
Meanwhile it has been suggested in media coverage that
immediate compensation is being offered so as to avert much
larger personal injury law suits. Zenani warns of “unscrupulous
lawyers” in this regard.
MINSK STATION BOMB KILLS 11 On 11 April 2011, an explosion in a subway station in the Belarusian
capital of Minsk during the evening rush hour killed 11 people
and wounded 126. The station is within 100 metres of the
presidential administration building and the Palace of the
Republic, a concert hall often used for government functions.
Witnesses said the bomb exploded as passengers were stepping
off a train at about 18:00. The Oktyabrskaya station, where
Minsk’s two subway lines intersect, was crowded at the time.
DERAILMENT ON CULLINAN BRANCHIn mid-May, two class 34 diesel locos derailed on the Cullinan
branch east of Pretoria as a result of sleeper theft. In the last
At about 17:50 on 19 May, a Metrorail commuter train from
Johannesburg ran into the rear of Soweto Business Express #2
between the Mzimhlophe and Phomolong stations. Evidently
there was no derailment, but an incredible number of injuries was
reported – initially 250, then 644 and fi nally 857. Press reports
spoke of “only two serious cases detained in hospital”, but dramatic
TV shots showed busy hospital scenes and at least one woman with
a broken leg and arm.
Speculation over the number of injuries included the possibility of
“try-ons” hoping for compensation hand-outs. But no doubt there
were standing passengers, many of them lodged insecurely in the
customary open doorways. Panic after the collision seems likely,
with people struggling to get out of the trains. Paramedics spoke
of people lying scattered “over a wide area” and it took some fi ve
hours to clear the scene. Train services on the line were cancelled
and buses brought in.
According to an offi cial statement from Metrorail, “Commuters
using the Soweto Business Express 2 will be greatly affected as the
train will be out of operation until further notice. They are requested
to make alternative arrangements.”
A team of inspectors from the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) was
at the scene soon after the accident.
Metrorail announced subsequently that the train driver had been
dismissed. Investigations revealed that he had been travelling at
more than twice the authorised speed, and had run through two
red signals.
Among steps taken afterwards, the regulation permitting trains to
proceed cautiously past automatic block signals at danger, after
waiting three minutes, was amended to prohibit this procedure. In
addition, it was proposed to use retired drivers to retrain newer
appointees.
Business Class express rear-ended in Soweto. Photos: ER24.
SOWETO CRASH HURTS 250, 644, 857….
42 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
Mishaps & BlundersMishaps & BlundersOne objective of our regular feature reporting and commenting on rail mishaps is to provide information and object lessons from Africa and abroad, in the hope that – in some cases at least - this might help avoid recurrences.
MISHAPS & BLUNDERS
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“utter chaos”. People tried to walk down
the track due to lack of communication.
This caused further problems.
COMMUTERS BURN ARGENTINIAN TRAINSFrom the British press, 4 May 2011:Angry mobs in Argentina burned train
coaches in at least three stations after a
derailment caused long delays to commuter
services on 2 May.
Police said the mobs also attacked ticket
booths, train conductors and police
offi cers who were trying to restore order.
Huge plumes of smoke soared from a
least three trains along the Sarmiento line,
which links the capital, Buenos Aires, with
its western suburbs. Dozens of people
were involved in the mayhem with several
arrests.
Gustavo Gago, a spokesman for Buenos
Aires Trains, said it was not easy to set a
train alight, but the mobs appeared quite
organised, destroying security cameras and
coming prepared for arson.
SORRY NO SHOSH MEYL – NO LOCOSAccording to a 4 May radio report:Passengers booked on a Shosholoza Express to Johannesburg on 3 May were told at Cape Town that the train had been cancelled as there were no locomotives.
REAR-ENDER KILLS TWOOn 17 April, a coal consist rear-ended
another eastbound train at McPherson,
about 72km south-east of Council
Bluffs near Red Oak, Iowa, killing two
crew members and shutting down the
Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF)
main-line. Ten wagons of the stationary
train were derailed, as well as the lead
loco of the coal train. According to BNSF
spokesman Gus Melonas, the 135-wagon
coal train was heading to Chicago from
the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. The
other train comprised 34 wagons of rail
maintenance equipment moving from
Bridgeport, Nebraska, to Creston, Iowa.
Both trains had two-person crews. The
weekend of May, more sleepers were
stolen, resulting in the cancellation of a
charter train that was to have overnighted
at Cullinan
POINTS MOTORS STOLENDuring May, electric points motors were
stolen at Capital Park yard and on the
line from Pretoria North to Rustenburg. A
28 May hook-up at Bon Accord north of
Pretoria (loco pantograph tangling in and
bringing down the overhead) resulted in
the main-line to Pietersburg (Polokwane)
being closed.
CHAOS IN UK TUNNELOn 25 May, passengers on a train that failed
near Kentish Town station at 18:30 due
to electrical supply problems complained
that they were stuck in a tunnel for nearly
three hours with no water, air conditioning
or communication. The train was towed
back to Kentish Town station at 21:15.
Following the incident, “limited services”
were reinstated accompanied by warnings
of “severe delays” into the early hours.
One passenger said the commuter train
had been “packed like sardines” and it was
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magnitude earthquake struck. Minutes later, a tsunami slammed
into large swaths of the Senseki line, rendering its tracks unusable.
The stretch at Nobiru, about halfway down the line, was one of
the hardest hit. The station building’s windows were shattered
and its roof needs major repair. It one of the few among thousands
of buildings in this beach neighbourhood that wasn’t ripped from
its foundations and swept away.
On 21 April, US soldiers and a team of Japanese ground troops
arrived at Nobiru to clean out the station. The American army group
comprised parachute riggers, missile operators, mechanics and
others who have been helping Japan since 20 March.
At Nobiru, the station was jam-packed with sludge.
Inside, feral animals had made themselves at home. On the day
following the helpers’ arrival, it rained, adding a new element of
mustiness. According to Sergeant Joshua Mason from Georgia, a
veteran of the Iraq War from 2003, “It looked a lot like Baghdad
did, except for the pine trees”.
No one knows when trains will reach Nobiru again. Japan Rail says
that Senseki line service will be restored for the fi rst 26km from
Sendai, ie to a point about 8km short of Nobiru, by the end of May.
The track remains covered with dirt, electric lines, debris and
mangled machinery. Almost 2km from the station, the tsunami
dumped a 7.5m boat on the line: this has still to be moved.
ROSSLYN COLLISION
On 8 April, one fully-laden Metrorail passenger train rear-ended
another that was stationary on a bridge above John Vorster Drive
in Rosslyn, north-west of Pretoria. Both were en route to
Mabopane. One person died in the collision, which saw coaches
knocked onto their sides. Some 200 injury cases were reported.
conductor and driver of the coal train were killed in the collision,
but those on the other train were not injured.
DERAILMENT NEAR KLAPMUTSIn a major derailment near Klapmuts, 47km north of Cape Town
on Easter Friday 22 April, a number of fl at wagons came off the
line and containers were destroyed. The main-line remained closed
for three days. Southbound passenger trains terminated at
Worcester and passengers were taken to Cape Town by bus. A
single track was opened on Monday 25 April and traffi c started to
move.
Peter Rogers, who visited the scene a week later - on 29 April -
reported: “There were wagons all over the countryside. Apparently
the cause was a mechanical failure on the train, though the
locos did not come off.”
FORCED STOP FOR TRAIN WITH SICK PASSENGERSOn 26 April, a Canadian Via Rail passenger train bound for
Vancouver was forced to make an extended stop in Edmonton
after 11 passengers became ill. Medical help was called in when
the train, which originated in Toronto, made a scheduled stop in
Edmonton. One passenger who was getting off in Edmonton was
taken to hospital.
Medical personnel determined the illnesses were the result of a
minor viral infection. The train was sanitised before continuing and
the other sick passengers were isolated in separate sleeping cars.
BREAKAWAY BARGES JAM ON RAIL BRIDGEOn 27 April, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, emergency
and hazardous materials crews were dealing with two out of
four barges that broke free from a towboat on the Ohio River
and jammed against a rail bridge over a back channel. One was
carrying light crude oil, containing 65% benzene, a highly
fl ammable liquid and known carcinogen. The container of benzene
was not leaking but communities downstream were notifi ed of the
potential danger.
Initially the other two barges were also pressed up against the
bridge but one of them, with a cargo of steel coils, sank. That
caused another barge loaded with coal to move again down river
where it got hung up at a lock.
US ARMY HELPS CLEAR TSUNAMI DAMAGEDuring peak hours, commuter trains on the Senseki line used to
arrive every few minutes at stations along a 48km stretch of north-
east Japan. Train traffi c stopped at 14:46 on 11 March, when the 9.0
Derailment near Klapmuts. Photo: G Hart
Metrorail collision at Rosslyn
46 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
MISHAPS & BLUNDERS
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eastern Missouri, alongside the Mississippi River. According to
BNSF spokesman Andy Williams, the train - carrying a variety of
goods, “from particle board to wheat and fl our” - was bound from
St Louis to West Quincy. No injuries were reported. There were
also four tankcars, fortunately empty, and some of these came off
the line.
SIDESWIPED WAGON DERAILSIn a shunting accident in a yard at Seattle, a double-stack
container fl at wagon derailed when it was sideswiped by a passing
train. No other damage was reported in the collision, which took
place at slow speed. The accident caused no delay to freight or
passenger trains on the main line through Seattle.
RED RIVER FLOODS CLOSE LINESLate in April, fl ooding by the Red River forced the Canadian Pacifi c
Railway (CPR) to reroute trains on one Manitoba branch and to
close another, while Canadian National Railway (CN) closed one
secondary line. The Manitoba provincial government built dykes
across two of CPR’s lines on 20 April, to protect the towns of
Emerson and Morris against fl ooding, CPR spokesman Mike
LoVecchio told the press. The two lines connect Winnipeg with
Morden, Manitoba, and with Glenwood, Minnesota. Detours were
in place for the Winnipeg-Glenwood line, resulting in service delays.
DERAILMENT NEAR HANNIBALOn 20 April, about 30 out of 124 wagons derailed in a Burlington
Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) train around 3km south of Hannibal in
UK TREE FELLS HIGH-SPEED TRAIN It was something that could happen in the best of families but
there was quite a bit to be learned from this one, the subject of
a recently released report by the UK Rail Accidents Investigation
Branch (RAIB).
At around 14:09 on Saturday 10 July 2010, a high-speed diesel
express from London Paddington to Penzance, travelling at
145km/h, collided with a tree near Lavington. Though (luckily) the
driver was only slightly injured, his cab was extensively damaged
and the train was disabled.
The two-way radio in the cab failed, due either to direct physical
damage or loss of electrical supply when the control circuit
breaker tripped, but it was in any case inaccessible under debris.
The tree, which struck the train at a height of approximately 2.8m
above rail level, penetrated a distance of about 1m through the
left side of the cab. The steel window frame on the left-hand side
was distorted and the glass side window broke and fell out of its
frame. There was also cracking to the glass reinforced plastic
(GRP) cab roof. The severity of the damage to the upper left-hand
portion of the cab was suffi cient to distort the aluminium
windscreen frame and cause the windscreen to become detached
from the GRP structure.
The driver had to push the windscreen away to extricate himself
from the wreckage. He knew that TVSC was the controlling signal
box, but did not have the phone number stored on his cellphone,
which he used to call Westbury 5½ minutes after the train came
to a stand. Confl icting information was given about the location of
the train; this involved numerous conversations between the train
crew, two signalling centres and the control centre in Swindon.
Nobody seemed aware that the identity numbers on nearby signals
would provide the authorities with the precise location.
To ensure that the train could be moved safely, two fi tters were
despatched from Reading (88km), arriving by taxi two hours after
the accident.
It was eventually hauled 14.5km to Westbury by a locomotive
despatched wrong road from that station, arriving complete with
some 200 passengers at 19:03 – very nearly fi ve hours after the
accident. They continued their journeys in another train.
The application of the emergency brake after the accident,
followed by loss of power and contact with debris from the fallen
tree, probably caused all axles on the train to lock and the train
subsequently slid to a stand. This caused severe fl ats on all
wheels along the train, limiting the speed under tow to 16km/h, to
minimise further damage to the train or track.
It had been decided not to disembark the passengers at the
accident scene, on the grounds that the air-conditioning was
still functioning (from the rear loco) and that the buffet was
well stocked.
Photos courtesy RAIB.
48 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
MISHAPS & BLUNDERS
industry sources told the Reuters news agency. Both lines of the
double track were affected, though later one was reopened to
traffi c. According to Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) chief
executive offi cer Raymond Chirwa, the accident had no immediate
impact on coal exports as adequate stocks were on hand.
However, the continuing incidence of derailments, particularly in
the Ermelo area, raises concerns about meeting this year’s target
of 65 million tons. An exporter quoted by Reuters said: “So 65
million tonnes is looking rather unlikely and we haven’t even got
to the maintenance period or scheduled pay talks which could
lead to another strike.”
A succession of derailments in recent months cut over three
million tons from exportable coal, exporters were quoted saying.
“South Africa exported 63.43 million tons of coal last year,
boosted by demand from China and India,” Reuters points out,
“but far below the terminal’s expanded capacity of 91 million tons.
Transnet is investing heavily in new and improved infrastructure,
but it will take years before a substantial increase in transported
tonnages is seen. Companies in the coal sector include Anglo
American, Xstrata, Optimum Coal and Exxaro.”
MASSIVE INDIAN RAIL DISRUPTIONAccording to India Today on 27 March, “Political unrest has
virtually stopped the Indian Railways in its tracks. The railways
say 3,611 trains were cancelled and 3,100 more diverted between
April 2010 and March 2011 because of political agitations. The
protests have been widespread - from Rajasthan (where the Gujjars
agitated) and Andhra Pradesh (where supporters are demanding a
separate Telangana state) to Jharkhand and West Bengal (where the
writ of Maoists run), and Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (where the Jats
ISRAELI CRASH INJURES 60Sixty people were injured when two Israel Railways passenger
trains were involved in a side-swiping collision near Netanya.
It is thought that the driver of a train travelling to Tel Aviv ran a
red signal. The other train was approaching from the south. Two
coaches derailed. Emergency services said that the relatively
light injuries were a consequence of the slow speed at which the
trains were travelling, though several carriages were “severely
damaged.”
FLOODS CLOSE US LINESSnow melting on already saturated ground contributed to fl oods
in North Dakota’s Red River Valley which caused the Burlington
Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) to close six lines. Grand Forks,
Minot and Bismarck, some of the state’s biggest cities, were
affected. The fl oodwaters were expected to reach the third-highest
crest on record in the Red River Valley. Some lines were closed to
allow dikes across the track, BNSF said in a message to customers
posted on its website on 14 April. “There may be a few industries
that we may not be able (to) service due to high waters and
reroutes may be established as necessary,” The valley Is an
important producer of spring wheat, durum and sugar beets.
Canadian National (CN) spokesman Warren Chandler said
preparations were being made to close the line from Winnipeg
to Emerson in the Canadian province of Manitoba, in advance of
approaching fl oodwaters.
COAL LINE DERAILMENTA derailment near Ermelo on South Africa’s heavy-haul coal rail
line to Richards Bay put back throughput by some 500,000 tons,
GM
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“ You focus on your business, we will focus on your gas supply”
49Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
MISHAPS & BLUNDERS
Employer’s Liability Act. The plaintiff is
seeking damages for severe, permanent
and disabling emotional and psychological
injury, mental pain and suffering,
permanent disability, loss of enjoyment of
life, lost wages and fringe benefi ts, medical
expenses, interest and court costs.
100-YEAR-OLD BUILDING LOST AFTER DERAILMENTThe derailment of a number of wagons
in a CSX freight on 28 March in Newton
Falls, Ohio, caused the evacuation of local
residents as a safety measure. A 100-
year-old tower building that formerly
served as a station was damaged beyond
repair and had to be demolished. The CSX
company later issued cheques to people
who were evacuated, to reimburse their
expenses. The cause of the derailment is
unknown.
CANADIAN DERAILMENTOn 26 March, according to the Ottawa
Citizen, “about 25” wagons in a Canadian
National freight train derailed west of
Cobourg, Ontario. Due to badly damaged
tracks, passenger trains were cancelled
between Toronto and both Ottawa
and Montreal until late on 29 March.
Passengers were conveyed by bus.
The derailed vehicles were carrying
aviation fuel, propane and sulphuric acid
containers. One with butane caught fi re,
obstructing access to the others. Residents
within 800 metres of the accident were
evacuated from the area.
SEVERN VALLEY COPPER THEFTIn January, six tonnes of copper were
stolen from the Bridgnorth site of Britain’s
well-known Severn Valley Railway (SVR).
Police described the theft as “audacious”.
The thieves broke in at night and hot-wired
a crane to steal the metal from the boiler
works.
MORE MUDSLIDES IN THE US NORTH-WESTA mudslide hit the Burlington Northern
Santa Fe (BNSF) main-line near White
Rock, just north of the United States
border, at 00:30 on 31 March. It was
hoped to reopen the blocked track to
freight trains later in the day but a safety
moratorium meant no passenger train
movement for 48 hours. It was hoped to
resume Amtrak international service to
and from Canada by 2 April, following
evaluation by offi cials. In the meantime
buses were being used.
SA RAIL COLLISIONS: 3.28 DAILY AVERAGE IN 2009 According to SA Rail Safety Regulator
(RSR) fi gures quoted by the Mail &
Guardian, daily collisions on the country’s
railways averaged 3.28 in 2009. The total
of 1,200 compared with 1,002 in 2008.
DON’T SLEEP ON THE SUBWAY, DARLINGIt wasn’t the subway this time, but a surface
line near Khuma, in South Africa’s North-
west province. According to a Sapa report,
Mama Sekhamane, 26, was “lying across
the tracks” when she was hit by a railway
repair unit on 23 May. “The driver said he
came across two men crossing the line and
hooted to warn them to get out of the way.
A short while later he saw Sekhamane.
MANHATTAN TUNNEL BLUESThe Long Island Railroad (LIRR), the
America’s largest commuter rail system,
runs 447 trains in and out of New York
city’s Penn Station on a typical weekday.
All enter Manhattan through four tunnels
owned by Amtrak.
On 8 May, an Amtrak train derailed inside
one of the tunnels, forcing LIRR to cancel
and delay a number of trains for four
days while the rolling stock was cleared
and extensive track damage repaired. On
typical mornings, 12 of the 98 LIRR trains
normally travelling to Penn Station were
cancelled. Ten were terminated early or
diverted. During the disruptions, LIRR
tickets were accepted on the subway.
An LIRR inspection of the tunnels revealed
that poor drainage may have contributed
to the problem, Metropolitan Transit
Administration (MTA) offi cials say. Now
local politicians, pressing for immediate
remedial measures in the tunnels,
are calling on the MTA to take over
maintenance, or even ownership, of Penn
Station and the tunnels.
are agitating). Demands for statehood and
reservation are becoming intense in some
parts of the country.
TRAFALGAR SQUARE LEAK STOPS TUBE TRAINSAccording to the London Evening Standard,
train service on the Bakerloo underground
line was stopped by water short-circuiting
the third-rail power supply between
Paddington and Elephant & Castle.
Apparently Charing Cross Station was
fl ooded by water leaking from Trafalgar
Square after the pump station for the
fountains broke down. A Transport for
London spokesman said the water had
reached Bakerloo line platforms and
had caused problems with the station
escalators. He said smoke had been seen
coming from a machine room.
CONDUCTOR SUES OVER TRAIN SHOOTINGA conductor is suing CSX Transportation
after an assailant entered the locomotive,
robbed him and shot the driver dead.
Michael T Brand fi led suit against the
company and the Alabama Great Southern
Railroad company on 25 March in New
Orleans. The incident occurred on 20
June 2010. Brand’s train was stopped
for approximately 30 minutes when an
unidentifi ed male climbed aboard and
began fi ring shots. Brand states he dived
to the fl oor and lay motionless. Believing
Brand to be dead, the assailant searched
his pockets and removed his wallet. The
assailant then left the cab. Brand lay
motionless for a few more minutes and
then called for help. While waiting for
emergency responders, Brand discovered
that the driver was dead.
The defendant is accused of failing to
provide Brand with a reasonably safe
place to work, in violation of the Federal
50 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
MISHAPS & BLUNDERS
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quipment and machine specialist
Apart from that though, face facts, the population on the Witwatersrand has been moving relentlessly northwards over a long period, and in density is beginning to overtake that over the so-called apartheid dormitory suburbs in the south.
Take a good look around, there are now extensive townhouse developments where four or more matchbox houses are crammed into 1,500m2, housing at least 12 people where previously maybe two people enjoyed the benefi t of spacious and gracious living.
What use is it living in Ruimsig and having to travel south to Krugersdorp to take a train to Johannesburg and then change to the Gautrain in order to get to Sandton?
– James: semaj@icon.co.za.
THE IMPRESSIVE CLASS 43Dear Editor A photo [of the new class 43] shows a loco that looks about the same height as the 6E1 electric next to it. Given its massive weight (126,000kg) I would guess its dimensions will fi ll the loading gauge and that it will be a good 20 metres long. These diesel locos are probably at the limit of what can be fi tted into the South African loading gauge and they have impressive vital statistics - their starting tractive force is 179% of that of the class 37 diesel. It is also 87% of the starting tractive force of the big 3,000kW AC diesels which run on the Canadian Pacifi c, Union Pacifi c and BNSF here in North America and on the iron ore lines in NW Australia. It is almost as much as the quoted tractive effort of the big North American steam locos, such as the UP 4-8-8-4 “Big Boys”. So, if these new locos work out and can be maintained, along with the impressive new class 15E and 19E electrics, Transnet will be running some fi rst-class motive power.”
– Stuart Grossert, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada .
LESSONS FROM HISTORYPosted on sar-L:
From what I can see a whole trick is being missed, namely because political powers are being true to form, they did/do not read, follow or acknowledge history. Now I’m sure there are folk better informed than me, but after the Boer War and right up to World War II, there was a need for employment on a massive scale, and a need for nation-building. After the Boer War, the economic depression of the late 1920s left people destitute and this all needed leadership from the top.
The government of the day, instead of just paying everyone on a “dole type” system - which would have just produced an
THREE COUNTRIES – THREE GAUGESDear EditorThe May issue of NewAfrican has a feature on Togo, which describes plans for a regional hub for freight transport. The railway system, which is fairly moribund, would be rehabilitated. Togo is a long and very thin country (rather like Chile) and freight destinations within a worthwhile radius are likely to cross international borders. Should the railways of neighbouring countries ever meet, there are likely to be diffi culties with gauge.
From East to West: * Nigeria – 1,067mm* Benin – 1,000mm* Togo – 1,000mm* Ghana – 1,067mm (which might change wholly or in
part to 1,435mm).
Complete conversion to a single gauge is a daunting “bridge too far”. If the three gauges could be reduced to two, that would be worthwhile progress. But as discussed in previous issues of RA, triple-gauge sleepers to suit all three gauges mentioned are quite
practical.
– Shall Ford (Australia).
CHANGE GAUGE – LOSE CONTINUITYDear EditorHow will Uganda and Kenya ensure that their new network will not go “to the dogs”?
And I do not understand why they are regauging their network to 1,435mm and not 1,067. From Angola/Congo/Namibia/South Africa up to Tanzania is an existing network in 1,067mm and there is the same gauge in Sudan. If the new East African network were to be in Cape gauge, there would be a 40,000km network without a break in gauge, not from the Cape to Cairo admittedly, but from the Cape to Sudan.
– Jean Engwunduka, by e-mail.
GAUTRAIN EXTENSIONS EAST & WEST[Gautrain runs in an easterly direction to OR Tambo airport. Gauteng transport MEC Ismail Vadi is quoted saying this line could be extended further east and then to the west, “as there is currently no commuter rail option that runs from east to west.”]
Dear EditorOf course there has been an east-west commuter service for years. I personally used it for many years from 1948 onwards, however I would hesitate to use it these days thanks to the run-down nature of the entire system.
BURKINA FASO NIGERIAKano
JosKaduna
Niamey
Kaya
Dori
Tambao
Banfora
OugadougouDosso
Malanville
Parakou
Blitta Ilorin
Makurdi
Lagos
Port HarcourtAccra
LomeCotonou
Gulf of Guinea
Takoradi
Abidjan
NIGERMALI
COTE D’IVOIRE GHANA
BENIN
TOGO
Km
400200 300100
N
Transnet Freight Rail’s new class 43 diesel-electric. Photo: R Ouwenkamp.
END OF THE LINE
54 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
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going to be provided. It is noted that the body that regulates the oil industry in Texas, USA, is the Texas Railroad Commission, which refl ects the history of oil in this state.
– Shall Ford (Australia).
[See below – Editor]
underclass (just look at the UK today) - used the railways and harbours to create jobs. This gave people a purpose, self-worth, pride and for the country a work ethic. People were given status and aspiration and were not all dressed up with nowhere to go.
If we look at South Africa today, much the same could be said again. The railways could be used once more to build a nation, to integrate people, in a productive and proactive way. Whole towns could be revived, people given status, a workforce that is trained. The railway could be used to spread the wealth of South Africa and more than likely increase it. Just putting money in big capital projects has never really helped the masses. People could be housed, welfare and education provided; and most of all, given meaningful employment.
It takes strong leadership - this way of thinking - and it’s not always popular. If you go back to Union, the leadership of the day had to work hard to get the country to go with them. The country went forward, infrastructure was built, and the country still benefi ts from it today.
I come from three generations of railwaymen in South Africa. My grandfather worked hard and long, up and down the line, but because of the railway he provided for his family. My uncle had an outstanding career on the railway, providing and educating his family. I joined they railway and used it as a stepping stone into the great wide world. The railway is one of the few places where true social engineering can take place.
If only the powers that be would just stop a minute, look back, take the dark glasses off, and then look forward.
– Terry Rowe.
THAT 15E ORDERDear EditorI have some doubts about the total quantity of new class 15Es now on order. I understood that the very fi rst order for 32 units was augmented by another 12 and UCW/Mitsui were expecting a further 18. I think that the “new” order for 32 comprises the old second order for 12; then the last 18 has now become 20, giving 32. The total number of units will thus be 32+32 = 64, as I see it and not 76. At about R50 million a shot, somebody had better have their fi gures correct!
– Jean Dulez.
RAIL IS THE WAYDear EditorA letter titled “Rail is the way” in African Business magazine, April 2011, talks about carrying newly discovered oil in East Africa by rail. Oil pipelines cannot carry any freight other than oil, whereas rail can carry lots of different freight. And passengers!
Rail haulage of oil makes a lot of sense, especially if the quantities of oil are “small” and the rail infrastructure exists already or is
PROFOUND TEXAN NAME CHANGETexas’s Sunset Advisory Commission, which advises on possible
bureaucratic redundancies, has recommended to the state
legislature that the Texas Railroad Commission’s name be changed
to the Texas Oil & Gas Commission. The advisory commission
says this change will recognise that the railroad commission no
longer has anything to do with railroads – it regulates the oil and
gas industries in Texas.
(from the San Antonio Express-News)
Transnet Freight Rail’s new class 15E electric loco on the 50kV AC ore line.
Photo: Aidan McCarthy.
Correspondence continued from page 54
56 Railways Africa May 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com
END OF THE LINE
uth Africa’s new Consumer Protection Act requires servSouth ervice
viders to furnish customers with receipts setting out compleprovid plete,
comprehensive details of all transactions.
Consumer protection’s the name of the game -Keeping service providers in line.
With luck it’ll stop them from doing us downp g pg
And ripping us off all the time.g
There’s more than one side to this coin, of course.As always, a downside exists.
Full contractural detail on passenger ticketsyy
Is a very tall order to list.gg
Then, full compensation is required to be madeFor every conceivable thing -
For a train that is late or, worse still, does not run,y gy g
There’s an onerous penalty sting.
The effect of these laws on the heritage sceneAre perturbing. It seems that they may
g
Put continued existence in signifi cant doubt -g y yg y y
Or worse, at the end of the day.gg
Thus if TFR’s signalling gums up the worksAnd our steam train can’t get very far,
g g gg g g
The Act can compel us to shell out such cashg yg
As to bankrupt us - fi nished and klaar.
- LRD
CONSUMER PROTECTIONCO ON
“The tickets have to be so big, there’s going to be no room left inside
for passengers.”
New Tubular Modular Track installation at Kwa Mashu Station, Durban.
The first of its kind in South Africa on 1070mm platform to rail height.
World Class track meeting World Class Safety Standards.
Step offnot down.
Tel: +27 12 803 4201 Fax: +27 12 803 5192 Email: info@tubulartrack.co.za www.tubulartrack.co.za
Specialists in refurbishment, repair and upgrade of wagons and major supplier of new wagons to the heavy haul
coal and iron-ore fleets with tare ratios as high as 5:1, as well as wagons for cement, car carriers, intermodal
and fuel tankers.
WAGON BUSINESS
Tel: +27 (0)12 391 1304 Fax: +27 (0)12 391 1371 Email: sales@transnet.net
GM
515
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