Rail services company Traxtion has announced plans to become South Africa’s first private freight rail operator to implement the Luxembourg Rail Protocol

South African rail services provider Traxtion is positioning itself to profit from a regional mineral boom and sweeping reforms across the continent that are opening up freight rail networks to private firms, CEO James Holley said on Friday. Traxtion, one of Africa's largest private freight rail operators, announced a R3.4-billion rolling stock investment programme in December to expand its capacity and support rail reform in a region that exports critical minerals including copper and lithium.

The first eight Wabtec C28 locomotives for Traxtion have reached the Port of Durban, the first delivery under the company’s locomotive investment programme. The post Traxtion’s first Wabtec C28 locomotives reach Durban first appeared on VibeWire Magazine.

The first eight Wabtec C28 locomotives for Traxtion have reached the Port of Durban, the first delivery under the company’s locomotive investment programme. The post Traxtion’s first Wabtec C28 locomotives reach Durban first appeared on VibeWire Magazine.

Traxtion welcomes the first eight Wabtec C28 locomotives at the Port of Durban, launching a major initiative to revitalise freight rail across Southern Africa.

The investment comes as South Africa prepares further changes to rail network access. The post Traxtion raises EUR 75m for 46 locomotives and 920 wagons first appeared on VibeWire Magazine.

The investment comes as South Africa prepares further changes to rail network access. The post Traxtion raises EUR 75m for 46 locomotives and 920 wagons first appeared on VibeWire Magazine.

The investment comes as South Africa prepares further changes to rail network access. The post Traxtion raises EUR 75m for 46 locomotives and 920 wagons first appeared on VibeWire Magazine.

The investment comes as South Africa prepares further changes to rail network access. The post Traxtion raises EUR 75m for 46 locomotives and 920 wagons first appeared on VibeWire Magazine.

Traxtion’s business model centres on upgrading, maintaining, and optimising rail assets to provide cost-effective freight

Traxtion has raised $86 million to complete funding for a R3.4 billion rolling stock programme, including 46 locomotives and 920 wagons.

Traxtion is investing R1.5m in skills development to help address capacity constraints in South Africa’s rail and logistics sector...

Staff Writer Namibia is preparing to test its first hydrogen-powered freight locomotive as part of efforts to modernise rail transport and introduce cleaner energy solutions in the logistics sector. CMB.TECH Namibia is leading the engineering and development of the locomotive, which is being assembled at the facilities of South African rail engineering company Traxtion. The project forms part of a partnership between TransNamib Holdings Limited, Africa Global Logistics and CMB.TECH Namibia. The partners aim to show how hydrogen can be integrated into Namibia’s freight rail system while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Namibia currently has a number of idle locomotives. The project will demonstrate that existing locomotives can be converted to hydrogen technology with limited infrastructure changes. TransNamib, the country’s national rail operator, manages Namibia’s rail network and freight services. The company is exploring ways to modernise its operations, including the possible conversion of its locomotive fleet to dual-fuel hydrogen systems. Africa Global Logistics is also involved in the project. The company operates in more than 50 countries and manages operations at the Walvis Bay Multipurpose Bulk Terminal. It also supports the development of regional freight corridors. The hydrogen-powered freight service will first run trial operations between the Port of Walvis Bay and a container depot near Windhoek. During the testing phase the locomotive is expected to complete 50 round trips along the route. Green hydrogen used for the project will be produced off-grid at CMB.TECH Namibia’s hydrogen plant in Walvis Bay. The project aims to show how locally produced hydrogen can be used in existing logistics corridors. The locomotive is equipped with a dual-fuel hydrogen combustion engine developed by BeHydro, a joint venture between CMB.TECH and Anglo Belgian Corporation. The technology is designed for use in rail, marine and power generation applications. The locomotive has a 2,250-horsepower engine that can operate on both diesel and green hydrogen. Hydrogen will be stored in two 20-foot containers mounted on a fuel tender behind the locomotive. Each container can carry up to 360 kilograms of compressed hydrogen. The hydrogen containers can be refuelled using a mobile refuelling system developed by CMB.TECH. They can also be replaced within minutes to reduce downtime. If the hydrogen system becomes unavailable, the locomotive can continue operating on diesel. The testing route between Walvis Bay and Windhoek covers about 414 kilometres. It climbs from about six metres above sea level at the coast to 1,601 metres in the central highlands. The terrain will allow engineers to test the locomotive’s traction performance, fuel use and reliability under operating conditions. The project aims to show that hydrogen-powered freight rail can support long-distance transport, particularly in regions with rail networks that are not electrified. Caption The hydrogen-powered freight service will run trial operations between the Port of Walvis Bay and a container depot near Windhoek.  * Photo: Contributed

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The announcement comes as South Africa implements its rail reform framework.