China wins lion’s share of Transnet’s R50bn train tender
CHINA’s two largest rolling-stock manufacturers are the biggest winners of a R50bn deal to manufacturer more than 1,000 locomotives for Transnet, confirming South Africa’s preference for doing business with members of Brics.China South Rail (CSR) Zhuzhou will supply 359 electric locomotives to Transnet and China North Rail (CNR) 232 diesel locomotives, giving them a collective 56% of a tender for the manufacture of 1,064 locomotives.They are earmarked for Transnet’s general freight business, the most important area of its strategy to shift freight from road to rail. Transnet aims to increase general freight volumes to 170-million tonnes (Mt) from 82.6Mt by 2019. Two other global manufacturers, Bombardier and General Electric (GE), will supply 240 electric and 233 diesel locomotives. All of the locomotives bar the first 70 will be manufactured in South Africa, and are expected to be delivered by 2019.Transnet moved to allay concerns about the quality of Chinese trains on Monday. Ten ...
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