history of the Umtata Line and new line

[grahamlizamore]

I am a new member, so still finding my way around the site. I am doing research into the East London Mthatha line. The new licence for the line starts from Amabele 77 kms from East London. I have not been able to find any reason for this, especially as the line is expected to carry freight to an from Mthatha. I am also interested in the building of the original line which must have been as much of a feat as the building of the Water Val Onder and Water Boven Line yet I am unable to source any information about the building of the EL - Mthatha line. Any help will be appreciated including ref to old photographs. Thanks.

[John Ashworth]

Welcome to the FOTR forum, Graham. Our experts usually manage to come up with answers to most questions. Over to them...

[Steve Appleton]

This from Railways Africa Magazine's website:

South Africa’s Rail Safety Regulator (RSR) has renewed the safety permit for the Kei Rail line from AmaBhele to Mthatha (282km) for a further three years. AmaBhele lies 76km from East London on the main-line to the interior. The RSR issued its original permit in March 2008, and the validity of this is now extended to 2012. 

Eastern Cape MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison Ghishma Barry is quoted saying: “This means the regulator was impressed with our safety standards and how we execute them. It means that Kei Rail offers a safe, affordable and reliable public transport service – a major achievement”. Barry attributed the success to the Kei Rail safety strategy, which aims to increase safety on the railway, increase the amount of effective safety communication to customers and staff, create a safety culture amongst stakeholders and ensure adherence to the technical and operational requirements in terms of the National Railway Safety Regulator Act (no 16 of 2002).

The AmaBhele to Mthatha section was taken over by Eastern Cape Government's Department of Roads and Transport. The haulage on the line was outsourced to private locomotive owner and operator Grindrod-Sheltham. Kei Rail is therefore regarded as a private operator by TFR and has not been permitted to run over the "core main line" section into East London. I understand that the points at AmaBhele are at least kept locked against Kei Rail, if not also spiked.
Passengers are therefore transported to AmaBele by bus. Why TFR could not be contracted to haul the Kei Rail stock into ELS I do not know: perhaps it was just too expensive.

As it is, the line is almost unused - just one train of about 5 specially refurbished coaches each way at the weekend. None of the projected freight traffic at all. In between time, the rail tops remain rusty as I saw whilst driving alongside the line during a recent visit (22 December 2009) to the Eastern Cape. The project was supposed to have created 29,000 jobs according to one source (Bathandwa Mbola at BizCommunity.com). The project is dogged with controversies, one of the more recent relating to a R4 million tender for track rehabilitation work. The work was done badly and apparently left the line unsafe. See http://blogs.dispatch.co.za/dispatchnow ... fe-report/ .

Whilst in the region, I wanted to organize an outing aboard the train for a ride down the spectacular escarpment, over the Kei River and up to Butterworth. But, the once a week running was simply not convenient and so I had to abort the idea -- along with probably the majority of the pool of likely passengers. "What do you mean you want to travel by train mid-week? You will travel on a Saturday!"

This from info.gov.za http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/2009/09022010451002.htm outlines the plans. At the end of 2009, they might have the new coaches, but little of the grand plan has been realised.

Keynote address by Honourable Gloria Barry, MEC for Roads and Transport at the launch of the new Kei Rail Coaches, AmaBhele Station:

It is indeed a great honour for us as the Eastern Cape Department of Roads and Transport to finally unveil these new Kei Rail Coaches worth R21 million, which will be used in our daily service that will commence on 1 March 2009 – exactly a year after the launch of the weekend passenger service.

This marks a significant progress of the Kei Rail Project and the realisation of a commitment that we have made to our people that very soon we would introduce this daily service, which will be linked with the Shosholoza Meyl Service between Johannesburg and East London.

It will make it easier for people of Komga, Butterworth, Dutywa and Mthatha to get home safely, on time and at affordable prices. They will get a diverting train from AmaBhele Station every day.

As a caring government, today we are delivering on our promise of a safe, reliable, accessible and affordable public transport system.

This is a second phase of the operations of Kei Rail, following a successful weekend passenger service, which has transported more than 6 300 people to date and made a revenue of more than R85 000.

We expect more people to use this new service, as we have added eight more stations to improve accessibility for our rural communities.

This service has already had its socio-economic impact, especially on job creation and poverty alleviation, which included:
* 424 employment opportunities, especially for youth (258), women (99) and people with disabilities (four)
* R43 million which was paid to contractors, of which R21,9 million was spent on 40 small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs).

In our midst, we have students, who are currently undergoing training on this line as train drivers, train control officers, operations managers train and train managers.

As from April, track welders and track masters will be trained.

Since last year, the Department of Roads and Transport has played a pivotal role in bringing the Phelophepha train on this line to provide our people with healthcare services at their doorstep at very affordable prices.

As a result:

* 24 497 patients were treated in 2008
* 223 602 students received various healthcare services including HIV and AIDS, dental care and reached through workshops in 2008
* 2 474 patients treated in 2009
* 318 students treated in 2009

As we speak, people are occupying their houses at Zimbane Valley to move out of the Zamukulungisa Siding. Already 35 of the 134 households have got their keys and title deeds and the project will be completed in March 2009.

The two new coach sets consist of:
* a power car
* a luggage car
* a business class coach, seating 48 passengers
* a four-sleeper coach, accommodating 24 passengers
* two six-sleeper coaches, each accommodating 36 passengers
* a catering car, consisting of two serving areas and a fully-equipped kitchen
* five economy class coaches, each seating 64 passengers

Thus, a single Kei Rail train is able to transport 464 passengers in comfort between Mthatha and East London.

The luggage car, combined with reinforced overhead luggage racks, ensures all coaches have ample space for passengers to travel comfortably.

Kei Rail has added a container to house luggage which may not fit in the reinforced luggage racks in the coaches themselves. Passengers will now be able to transport even large items of luggage securely and comfortably.

All passenger coaches are fitted with bathrooms. Besides the five economy class coaches, all coaches are also fitted with hot water geysers. The sleeper coaches also have showers.

Housed in a six-metre container, the new Kei Rail power car generator produces enough electricity to run the train for a full 90 hours, using 3 600 litres of fuel.

The brand-new Kei Rail catering car features two serving areas and a fully equipped kitchen. Fully qualified staff will serve healthy meals and packaged food to Kei Rail passengers, ensuring their comfort and satisfaction.

This means that we are serious about improving the conditions of our trains in order to attract more people back to rail.

In order to ensure safety on the train and to protect the coaches from vandalism, the department has an agreement with the South African Police Service (SAPS) Railway Unit to accompany the train at all times. They will also have a permanent police station at AmaBhele and Mthatha.

In the new financial year, we are planning to introduce a workers and scholars train between Butterworth and Mthatha every morning and afternoon.

The Department of Roads and Transport has gone out on tender for expression of interest for companies that will design, manufacture and supply the new high speed coaches for this line and other strategic lines in the province.

Through our newly adopted 10 Year Rail Plan, we want to make rail services viable, especially to rural areas of the province through collaboration with various stakeholders, including local government and the private sector.

Our goal is to identify areas in which the provincial government should be involved to ensure that rail transport occupies its rightful space in the overall transport environment of the Eastern Cape and supports the Provincial Growth and Development Plan (PGDP).

We have noted an increase in the levels of road traffic of freight, public passenger and private passenger vehicle transport causing congestion around our cities and damage to our roads.

The allocated budget for roads infrastructure in this province is unable to deal with this pressure.

This situation necessitates government and its social partners to consider rail as an option in order to save the declining road infrastructure and to improve our public transport system through providing a safe, reliable and affordable service.

Fortunately, we are not re-inventing the wheel, instead we intend to revive our rail network, which consists of approximately 3 800 route kilometres and approximately 450 stations, which are currently under-utilised.

Our railway operating conditions show that:
* 37 percent of our rail infrastructure is abandoned
* Only 23 percent of infrastructure is good, including the Port Elizabeth to Noupoort and East London to Bethulie
* 18 percent is fair and that refers to Blaney to Cookhouse and Amabhele to Mthatha
* 22 percent is poor, including Addo to Kirkwood, Alicedale to Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth to Avontuur and Port Elizabeth to Willowmore
* Some stations have been redeveloped, while many others are derelict and the rest is generally poor.

The National Freight Logistics Strategy released in 2005 projected that the Port Elizabeth Corridor would carry 39 percent more freight than it did in 2003 by the year 2020 and the East London corridor would carry 31 percent more.

In both instances more than 90 percent would be carried by road and between six percent and nine percent by rail.

Both corridors have huge economic potential as they house the Coega and East London Industrial Development Zones (IDZs), which are expected to contribute significantly to the provincial economy.

These corridors are the hub of the automotive industry, which is the anchor of the manufacturing sector in the Eastern Cape. The industry is located in Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and East London, and is dominated by four vehicle assemblers (MBSA, General Motors, Volkswagen and Ford) and related components manufacturers. The industry contributes 60 percent of South Africa's passenger car exports.

The analysis of the latest freight movements indicates that:
* 3,6 million tons per annum are transported into the Eastern Cape (especially manganese that is being transported to Port Elizabeth)
* 0,3 million tons per annum are transported out of the Eastern Cape
* 0,7 million tons per annum are transported within the province

The coming into life of the Port of Ngqurha further poses a challenge for us to improve our freight handling methods.

Through this plan, we are considering new connections between Tarkastad and Cradock to serve Indwe to Coega, Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City via Grahamstown and Alice because it is expensive along the coast (this will link with Mthatha through the Kei Rail line), Buffalo City to Mthatha via new link to Butterworth.

We remain committed to re-open the lines such as East London to Alice, Coega to Motherwell Loop, Sterkstroom to Maclear to support timber industry and coal mining.

Furthermore there is also a partnership with Dutch Railway Organisation and the University of Delft in the Netherlands focusing on station management.

Skills development:

Our Rail Plan is supported by a skills development strategy, which includes the opening of the Rail Centre of Excellence at the University in partnership with various engineering departments from Further education training (FET) Colleges and rail sector stakeholders.

The university has allocated a building at its Engineering Department in Chiselhurst, East London, to start the operations in April 2009.

In conclusion, I would like to call upon the communities along this line to protect these trains from vandalism as they will assist in improving their living conditions and access to public transport.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Roads and Transport, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
19 February 2009

[Steve Appleton]

Graham,
During a recent visit to the area, a friend had a bound copy of old local newspapers that had some good pics taken during the line's construction through the Kei Pass. If you want I will try to contact him about them.

[grahamlizamore]

Graham,
During a recent visit to the area, a friend had a bound copy of old local newspapers that had some good pics taken during the line's construction through the Kei Pass. If you want I will try to contact him about them.

Thanks so much for the info. I am not sure if it was you that gave the info

Graham, but thanks. The interesting aspect of the Kei Rail, is that no provision appears to have been made at Amabele for loading freight. Yet the line seems to feature hugely in government plans for development in the area especially timber, cattle and maize to mention a few.
Reference to the building of the line in 1912? will also be appreciated. Although I have not experienced the track to Butterworth, If it is anything like the challenges that faced the Waterval Onder and Waterval Boven construction, it will be worth seeing.
I will get used to this site eventiually. I need to post some interesting pics from Waterval Boven so here's to luck.

During a recent visit to the area, a friend had a bound copy of old local newspapers that had some good pics taken during the line's construction through the Kei Pass. If you want I will try to contact him about them.

Thank you - Graham

[Terry Boardman]

In an email a South African friend suggested a trip on the Umtata line when I visit SA in March 2019. I cannot find any information about services. Is there a web site or FaceBook page that gives any details?
Terry Boardman