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Transnet reopens rail route between port of East London and Gqeberha

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The rail transportation of goods in the Eastern Cape has received yet another lifeline after Transnet reopened the route between the port of East London and Gqeberha.

The Cookhouse-Blaney- route cuts across two district municipalities and is expected to resuscitate economic development and reduce vehicle volumes on the road.

Transnet Group CEO Portia Derby says the migration of freight from road to rail will also reduce the delivery time between the strategic East London and Coega Industrial Development Zones.

“The challenge with trains and it is always going to be the case, a short distance system vs trucks in short distances, trucks are always much more competitive than rail. The difference that we are arguing here though is that if your operating model is a low cost operating model you should be able to compete. It is reliability that will make the difference but remember also as I am saying, the ability to move trucks from the road makes the roads in the Eastern Cape safer, they last a lot longer,” says  Derby.

Recently, the port authority moved its head office to a state-of-the-art building in the Eastern Cape.

VIDEO: Transnet headquarters to relocate to the Port of Ngqurha outside Gqeberha

 

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