Transnet, South Africa’s logistics utility, announced on Wednesday that rail services on its Cape Corridor, the primary route for manganese exports and agricultural commodities, had been severely affected by adverse weather conditions.
Last weekend, South Africa’s Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces experienced severe winds and heavy rainfall, resulting in flooding and claiming the lives of 11 individuals, as per an official government statement. This extreme weather event also inflicted damage on critical infrastructure, including residential properties, power lines, roads, and railway lines.
“Extreme rainfall – resulting in wash-aways, rockslides and fallen trees along some sections of rail lines – caused damage to locomotives and the rail infrastructure, resulting in challenging operational obstacles,” Transnet said in a statement.
Transnet also indicated that services had been suspended on specific segments of the rail network, with delays affecting other parts.
