- The rail line linking South Africa’s richest province to the continent’s biggest container port has virtually ground to a halt over the last two weeks because of power-cable theft.
- The Container Corridor that runs from the Port of Durban on the Indian Ocean to the City Deep station in downtown Johannesburg ran at just 25% capacity after the overhead power lines that keep the trains running were constantly severed.
- Vandalism on the container corridor adds to the woes for Transnet, which is already struggling with crime and shortage of locomotive spare parts on its network that moves coal.
- The freight service transports parts and finished cars for companies including BMW AG and Ford Motor Co. The line also supplies iron ore to a steel plant owned by a unit of ArcelorMittal SA in Newcastle.
- The crisis is forcing companies dependent on the container line to rely on costly trucks that ply the congested N3 highway between Durban and Johannesburg.
Rail That Supplies BMW, Ford in South Africa Crippled by Theft
The rail line linking South Africa’s richest province to the continent’s biggest container port has virtually ground to a halt over the last two weeks because of power-cable theft.
Antony Sguazzin
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