Transnet
Transnet Rail Engineering
Geographically spread across seven locations in South Africa, Rail Engineering (formerly Transwerk) has eight product-focused business units which provide services, ranging from refurbishment, conversion and upgrades, to the manufacturing of rail related rolling stock.
From its origins as a mechanical engineering workshop for South African Railways and Harbours, today Rail Engineering's products are in service from as far as the Arctic Circle to the Tropic of Capricorn. In addition to this, the company exports to a score of countries in Europe, Africa and in Australia.
The company has an ISP 9002 quality rating and is working towards ISO 14000. Product lines in several Rail Engineering facilities have been accredited as centres of excellence by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
Rail Engineering has designed and manufactured some of the world's longest and heaviest trains, including the 2.5-km-long 26 000-ton trains which move some 100 million tons of coal and iron ore a year over Spoornet's Mpumalanga, Richards Bay and Sishen-Saldanha lines.
Rail Engineering's success is based on a combination of:
- Well-located production facilities
- Technologically advanced equipment
- Valuable intellectual property
- Engineers experienced in conditions in and beyond Africa
- A skilled workforce
- Computerised costing and process control
Rail Engineering comprises six product-focused, distinct yet complementary businesses, each dedicated to a specific group of railway rolling stock equipment.
Locomotives
Rail Engineering's Locomotive business is the industry leader in Southern Africa, where its market share is some 80% of the region's requirements for new and remanufactured locomotives and for repair work. Either as original design or as a retrofit, the company is now able to equip vehicles with the latest in:
- Microprocessor control
- High-level adhesion
- Glass-screen control panels
- Ergonomic cabs
New wagons
The company's Wagon Build business supplies some 500 new wagons a year to domestic and foreign customers. Award-winning high-load-to-tare designs are available for a range of coal and ore wagons, cement and fuel tankers and customised wagons.
Remanufactured Coaches
The Coach business attends to the refurbishment, conversion, upgrading and repair of a wide range of passenger coaches, guards' vans, motor-wagons and steam-heated vehicles.
Freight wagon Refurbishment
This business specialises in a range of freight rolling stock refurbishment and related activities, including: repairs, modifications, conversions and upgrading. Successful bogie upgrading and re-gauging applications have provided low-cost extended life spans for high-value capital equipment.
Components
This Rail Engineering business includes production lines for rolling stock equipment, rotating machinery and wheels. A combination of advanced technology, quality standards and modern test equipment has led to a rapid increase in growth for this business.
Tarpaulins
This niche business manufactures PVC coated fabric tarpaulins to the highest international standards. Tarpaulins are also repaired, cleaned and leased to rail and road transport operators throughout Africa. This business also manufactures a range of auxiliary products including lashing chains.
Visit the Transnet Rail Engineering website
