Spoornet plans new heavy-haul line - World Report

International Railway Journal, March, 2004

SPOORNET, South Africa, has launched a study into the provision of a second heavy haul line from Sishen to supplement the existing Orex iron-ore line which runs to the Atlantic Ocean port of Saldanha. The new heavy-haul line would run to Coega near Port Elizabeth where the port of Ngqura and a duty-free zone are under construction. Two smelters and various steel mills are also planned at Coega.

South Africa believes it could increase iron-ore exports, particularly to China, if it had a second rail-connected port. The 861km Sishen-Saldanha line carries about 26 million tonnes of ironore a year. Spoornet is awaiting government funding to start an upgrading project to boost capacity initially to 29 million tonnes a year, and possibly more than 35 million tonnes a year by 2010.

The existing railway from Sishen to Port Elizabeth would require considerable work to upgrade it. A new line would be at least 700km long.