Rail Sidings and Facilities: Selected Projects

During the past 10 years RCE Consultants have, amongst others, planned, designed, implemented and commissioned a large variety of rail sidings and facilities. The projects range in diversity from multi million rand double balloon loading facilities to smaller siding extensions, rail access to industrial areas, petroleum decanting and re-fueling facilities and multi-user rail facilities.

Selected examples are the following:

• Anglo Coal / BHP Billiton Phola Rail siding, the coal loading facility with the highest capacity in Southern Africa
• Droogvallei and Mbokodo coal loading facilities in Mpumalanga. These projects included coal loading platforms, access roads, dirty water management systems, area lighting, weighbridges, rail infrastructure and in the case of the Mbokodo siding, fully signalled CTC controlled take-off points
• Tshipi Borwa manganese loading siding, the first 120 wagon compliant, fully signalled rail siding in the Northern Cape
• Hernic Rail Siding in the North West Province, connecting the ferrochrome smelter to the TFR rail network. The siding includes two substantial bridge structures crossing a provincial road and a large perennial stream respectively
• Pendoring Multi-User Chrome loading facility in the Brits Industrial area. Phase 1 of the facility, currently under construction and reaching completion soon, consists of a 32 000m² concrete loading area, high mast area lighting, rail and road weighbridges, electrified rail access lines, a new road intersection to the Madibeng Industrial area, high capacity surfaced access roads and a drainage system providing for storm and dirty water run-off
• Saldanha electrical locomotive provisioning and light maintenance facility for use by the Ore Line’s Class 15E locomotives
• Pier Rail Terminal at the Port of Durban’s Container Terminal. The project entailed the demolition of an old access bridge to the harbour area, the establishment of a new rail terminal, including rail and road infrastructure as well as crane beams for the overhead gantry cranes and the remodelling of Kings Rest Yard to accommodate the new rail terminal
• Rail terminal and container transhipment facilities at Eskom’s Camden and Tutuka power stations, both terminals exceeding their planned capacity and constantly off-loading at more than 2 Mtpa
• A petroleum refuelling siding at Galana adjacent to the Matola Coal Terminal in Mozambique
• The re-location of TransNamib’s Swakopmund station in Namibia