The continuous rail corridor established in April by the state transport companies of Mozambique and South Africa is set to expand from September 1 to include the transportation of chromium and ferrochrome, as announced today by CFM and TFR.
In a joint statement, the Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM) and Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) companies declared that the “historic agreement” in place since April 1, enabling the seamless operation of trains between the two countries, will be extended to accommodate the flow of chromium and ferrochrome with three trains per day starting this Friday.
This agreement facilitates the uninterrupted movement of freight trains between the two nations, reducing transit times and thereby increasing transported volumes. The implementation of the agreement followed a 90-day period during which the two companies developed a pilot project to demonstrate the viability of this continuous channel, which integrates TFR’s “Northeast Corridor.”
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This corridor stands as a vital export route for Mozambican raw materials like magnetite, chrome, ferrochrome, rock phosphate, and coal.
In the initial phase of this railway corridor’s implementation between the two countries, transportation was secured from the Matola Coal Terminal (TCM) in Maputo, marking “a 23% increase in magnetite volumes” transported from Mozambique.
“This drastic improvement has occurred despite various disruptions on the line, including line closures due to security disturbances and recent derailments,” reads the statement.
The two-state railway carriers affirm that this “more efficient” link will enhance the transport cycle time for these freights “by approximately 23% and will increase rail volume by about 230,000 tons.”
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“The successes achieved on this route demonstrate the inherent value of substantial collaboration between the two national railway operators. This lends credibility to what can be accomplished when railway operations are not stifled by disruptions due to incessant cable theft and locomotive shortages, as seen in other key routes to the east coast that support the vast mineral deposits of Mpumalanga and Limpopo,” they also cautioned.
