Crucial forestry sector the latest casualty of Transnet's rail troubles

[John Ashworth]

Crucial forestry sector the latest casualty of Transnet's rail troubles

South Africa's forestry sector is the latest industry to feel the pain of Transnet's railing troubles as the state-owned entity halted timber railing service for a week as it diverted locomotives to ease the crisis on the embattled coal export line. The so-called Wood Owl train, which moves masses of timber on Transnet's North Corridor from the forestry heartland in the highveld to processing plants in Richards Bay, has increasingly been affected by locomotive shortages, but has now felt the impact acutely as the train was out of service for a week in order for Transnet to refit locomotives to be used for coal exports...