JOHANNESBURG – Ailing state utility Transnet Freight Rail is suffering yet another setback following a major train derailment in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
On Sunday, shortly after 6am, two Transnet trains, transporting tonnes of coal, derailed after colliding near Richards Bay.
Initial reports suggest one train rear-ended another, which was stationary due to a power outage.
Sunday’s collision has resulted in the loss of tonnes of coal as Transnet Freight Rail scrambles to clear the scene.
Sources say the possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out. This after TFR recently announced that it plans to increase the number of trains on the North Corridor. Thousands of trucks have been ferrying coal along the N2 highway into the port of Richards Bay. “It’s a cash cow.”
‘ EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) January 15, 2024
TFR said a statement would be released in due course but according to insiders, the possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out.
A derailment of TFR’s main line in Ulundi in November 2022 was reported to have cost the country R1 billion a day.
The line took weeks to repair and reopen.
At the time, TFR said they could not rule out the possibility of sabotage, following a dispute with a local business forum just days prior.