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A vehicle is loaded on to a wagon designed to transport cars by rail at the Isipingo car terminal, near Toyota s Prospection manufacturing plant. Transnet Freight Rail has signed a deal with Toyota to rail hundreds of vehicles to Joburg.
Suren Naidoo
CONGESTION on the N3 was expected to decrease by about 60 trucks a week after a landmark agreement was signed by Transnet Freight Rail and Toyota SA Motors in Durban yesterday.
Under the deal – signed by Transnet Freight Rail CEO Siyabonga Gama and Toyota SA CEO Johan van Zyl – the trucks, which carry new vehicles from Durban to Joburg weekly, would be taken off the road and the vehicles would be railed.
Gama said the deal was a “major breakthrough”, considering that Toyota SA was the biggest car manufacturer and vehicle exporter in SA. It would result in reduced congestion as the project was extended to other vehicle manufacturers.
“Our container and automotive business unit will now directly handle the transportation of certain locally manufactured vehicles from Toyota’s manufacturing plant in Prospecton to Joburg. This is just the first phase of a bigger plan,” he said.
“We carried out a pilot project in October, when the first locally made cars were loaded on a train at the upgraded Isipingo rail car terminal and transported to the upgraded Kaalfontein car terminal in Joburg. The next phase will be the transportation of imported cars on this route.
“One of the most exciting things for Durban is the third phase, which will see Toyota’s imported cars and exports from Prospecton railed between Isipingo and the Durban car terminal. This will take more trucks off the road, easing traffic congestion into the city.
“One consignment of vehicles by rail is equivalent to 25 trucks off the road,” he said.
Van Zyl said signing the deal was a strategic move by Toyota SA to enhance its vehicle supply chain in SA.
“Cars were always transported by rail, but the decline of rail infrastructure saw a move to road. Transnet Freight Rail is investing millions in rolling stock and other rail infrastructure, which will increase its competitiveness against road.
“We want to get back on to rail, which will ensure efficiency in the vehicle logistics system,” he said.
Van Zyl said adding rail to the vehicle transport mix offered significant benefits to motor companies and that vehicle carrier trucks would still have business through the distribution of vehicles to dealerships.