Q&A’s, 2006

Question 1129

Dr S M van Dyk (DA) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises:

(1) Whether Spoornet currently transports only 10% of the total volume of freight in South Africa; if so, what are the (a) relevant details and (b) reasons for Spoornet's poor performance;

(2) Whether the department is planning steps to decrease the number of trucks on South Africa's roads; if not, why not; if so, what steps; what percentage of freight is transported by Spoornet in (a) mining, (b) agriculture and (c) forestry as opposed to transportation by road;

(3) Whether it takes one week to transport freight by rail between Limpopo and Cape Town; if so, (a) why and (b) what steps will be taken to rectify this situation? N1479

Reply

(1) The smallest comparable unit of transport effort is the Tonkilometre. Approximately 38% of surface traffic is moved by rail.

(a) (i) In the 2005/06 financial year, Spoornet railed 182,1 million tons of freight. This volume was moved primarily on the export lines (68,7 Coal and 29,6 Iron Ore) and was the result of a deliberate strategy to move productive rolling stock resources to the export lines.
(ii) Market share of volume on corridors is a more balanced measure of rail/road contribution. Rail has a 28% share of long haul corridors market measured in tonkm. This share has been declining over the past two decades, markedly so after deregulation of the freight transport system.

(b) There are a number of factors that contribute to the performance of rail vs road over time. These include:

• South African economy's transformation from one based primarily on agriculture and mining to one driven by industry and manufacturing
• Evolving industry requirements for door-to-door logistics and just-in-time deliveries
• Due to under-investment and huge increases in traffic volumes since the early 1980s neither road nor rail has kept pace with developments.
• Limited rail investment over the past ten years has also contributed to a deterioration in safety and operational efficiency

(2) The Department, together with Transnet and the Department of Transport is exploring a campaign to increase rail-freight.

(a) Spoornet transports approximately 34% of total mining production. Coal and iron ore mining exports constitute the majority of total mining production conveyed by Spoornet.

(b&c) Spoornet moves 10.5% of agricultural products. This comprises largely of the grain sector, but also includes forestry

(3) A rail trip plan indicates that it would take 3.5 - 4.5 days to convey a single wagon consignment between Table Bay and Musina. Trip plans vary from consignment to consignment, dependent on which trains are switched on, space available on trains, size of consignment, etc. Criteria for single wagons are based on the Hub-to-Hub principle (with consolidation of loads or trains en-route at major hubs, e.g. Bellville, Kimberley, Sentrarand and Polokwane). A block load of traffic from one origin to one destination could theoretically be conveyed in under three days.

Alec Erwin, MP
Minister of Public Enterprises

Portia Molefe
Director-General