Transnet tears up 861km Sishen to Saldanha line as 1,300 hired for October shutdown
Rail and sleeper replacement, ballast screening and signalling work on the Iron Ore Export Line runs from 6 to 16 October, with third-party operators waiting to enter the network.
Extensive maintenance and renewal work is under way along the 861km Iron Ore Export Line from Sishen in the Northern Cape to the Port of Saldanha in the Western Cape, in a programme Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) describes as strengthening one of South Africa’s most strategic freight rail corridors.
The annual Iron Ore Line shutdown runs from 6 to 16 October 2026 and gives the rail infrastructure manager a dedicated window for interventions that cannot be done while trains are running.
On Monday, Transnet Group Chief Executive Michelle Phillips and Group Chief Operating Officer Solly Letsoalo accompanied Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy on an inspection of technical maintenance activities during the shutdown.
According to TRIM, the work currently under way includes rail and sleeper replacement, ballast screening, turnout renewal and maintenance, formation rehabilitation, culvert installation, as well as electrical and signalling upgrades. The interventions are intended to improve operational reliability, enhance safety and increase the corridor’s capacity to absorb future freight demand.
“Reliable rail infrastructure is fundamental to the success of South Africa’s rail reform programme,” TRIM said.
The shutdown lands in the middle of the government’s push to open the freight rail network to third-party access. Under that arrangement, TRIM continues to own, manage and maintain the rail infrastructure, while approved Train Operating Companies (TOCs) gain access to the network to move freight for customers.
“The introduction of additional Train Operating Companies (TOCs) onto the network marks a significant milestone in the transformation of South Africa’s freight rail sector,” TRIM said, adding that the shift brings greater competition, investment and capacity to the sector.
TRIM said the evolving environment requires infrastructure that is reliable, resilient and capable of supporting multiple operators while maintaining safe and efficient network performance, and that it remains central to the transition by ensuring fair and transparent network access while safeguarding the integrity and performance of the country’s rail assets.
The corridor carries mineral exports and supports economic activity and thousands of jobs across the logistics value chain. TRIM said the shutdown is also delivering socio-economic impact beyond its operational benefits. Approximately 1,300 fixed-term employment opportunities have been created for the October maintenance programme, with a further 600 indirect opportunities expected through associated economic activity. Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises are participating through civil works, logistics, transportation, equipment support and accommodation, among other services.
The programme supports the objectives of October Transport Month and contributes to the government’s ambition of increasing rail freight volumes to 250 million tonnes per annum by 2030.
This report is based on the SAnews (South African Government News Agency) account of the shutdown and TRIM’s statements carried in it, rather than on the underlying engineering or contract records. The source is available at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/iron-ore-export-line-undergoes-upgrade
