We're excited to announce that TPT, TFR, and MAERSK have worked together to set up a road to rail initiative in the East Cape Terminals for the citrus season. This is to help reduce congestion at the NCT and make things more fluid for businesses by using rail for the transport of empty reefers. Shipping lines usually release empty reefers ahead of the citrus season which starts on May 1st and ends on October 30th.
In order to reduce congestion and optimise operations, the containers were previously transported by road from the Northern Territory of Norway (NCT) to Maersk's container depot in the vicinity of Deal Party. During this period, the high volume of trucks necessitated TPT's involvement in the process of transporting containers, and the possibility of using rail transport was explored. Today, on 8th June, 2023, the first ever Maersk Reefer Shuttle Train, which transported fifty empty reefers from Norway, left the Northern Territory of Newfoundland (NCT) at approximately 13:06 hours and reached Deal Party at approximately 17:00 hours. The successful delivery of this first rail shipment is a testament to the success of this collaborative initiative that has been in progress for almost two years. The objective of this initiative is to reduce congestion at the NCT and to improve overall business continuity.
One train with 50 containers is like getting rid of 50 trucks from the ports and roads. Not only does this make things easier for businesses, but it also helps make roads safer. This is a great example of TPT's Port Elizabeth Container Terminal team working with Ngqura's Container Terminal and Transnet's Freight Rail to come up with creative solutions that help the industry and the community.
The Road-to-Rail initiative in the East Cape Region is set to be further extended by TPT (Transnet Freight Railway) and Transnet Container Terminal (TCT) to include the implementation of an Inter-terminal Shuttle Service between CT and PCT for Full Containers. Efforts will also be made to maximise the utilisation of the Return leg between Deal Party and NCT for Empty Containers.
We at TPT, TFR and Maersk would like to express our appreciation to all stakeholders for their commitment and collaboration in the implementation of this initiative. This collaboration serves as a model for future industry collaborations to enhance efficiency, reduce congestion and promote sustainable logistics practices.
Ngqura Container Terminal is a component of a network of sixteen sea-cargo terminals and three inland terminals managed by TPT (Transnet Port Terminals), the leading terminal operator in South Africa (SA). TPT, a division of the publicly-traded Transnet SOC Ltd, is responsible for the loading and unloading of cargo on vessels calling at seven SA ports. TPT offers import and export services to both domestic and international markets, with a workforce of 9,000 personnel spread across sixteen sea-cargoes and three inland terminals, with a focus on four main market sectors: automotive; containers; bulk; and break bulk.
