SOUTH AFRICA – The South African Cabinet has embraced the completion of the R3.4 billion (USD 177.5 million) Newlyn Park Bayhead Rail Terminal project at the Port of Durban.
The project includes 640,000 square meters of warehousing, rail sidings, and open storage. This new terminal aims to facilitate the seamless flow of sea, rail, and road cargo through the Port of Durban, addressing recent logistical challenges.
A Cabinet statement on Monday highlighted the impact of the investment, which created 4,013 direct construction jobs and offered full-time employment to over 1,000 people.
These numbers are expected to grow as the terminal becomes more operational and handles additional cargo.
In a related development, Cabinet applauded the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) for its successful restoration of five key Metrorail services across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape.
PRASA has partially resumed 31 of its 40 lines and is working towards full operation, showcasing the government’s commitment to revitalizing passenger rail services.
The South African National Roads Agency also announced an investment of over R50 billion in road infrastructure development in the Eastern Cape.
This funding will support the construction of new facilities, improvements to existing roads, and maintenance of the national road network in the province.
The Port of Durban handles around 64% of South Africa’s seaborne cargo, with the Durban Container Terminal (DCT) being one of the busiest in the southern hemisphere.
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) and Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) are undertaking significant expansion projects at the Durban port and its container terminals.
Port Expansion Projects
The expansion of DCT Pier 1 aims to boost the terminal’s capacity to 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). This includes the Salisbury Island project, also known as the Pier 1 Phase 2 Infill project.
TNPA plans to deepen berths 203, 204, and 205 at the DCT, which could increase the capacity of Pier 2 from 2.4 million TEUs to 2.9 million TEUs.
The project involves deepening the berths from 12.8 meters to 16.5 meters and lengthening them to handle three 350-meter vessels simultaneously.
The Maydon Wharf Terminal is undergoing reconstruction and deepening work at six berths (1 to 4 and 13 to 14).
Once completed, these berths will have a depth of 14.5 meters, making them the deepest in the Port of Durban.
Overall, these projects are expected to enhance the DCT’s capacity from 3.6 million TEUs to approximately 5.3 million TEUs, which will improve the port’s efficiency and capacity to handle international trade.
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