TransNamib’s turn around on track

Railway parastatal, TransNamib Holdings announced that it recently concluded a contract with Transnet Engineering that will add 21 locomotives to TransNamib’s fleet of class 33’s GE’s, which will double TransNamib’s current fleet of serviceable locomotives from 21 to 42.The 21 locomotives will include an additional 10 class 33 GE locomotives that have been refurbished in Transnet Engineering’s workshops, and 11 locomotives that will be repaired in Windhoek by TransNamib’s staff and in Bloemfontein by Transnet Engineering.One of the goals of the 180 Day Plan was to get 12 of TransNamib’s unserviceable locomotives running. This means that the goal has been exceeded, and within only 52 days of the 180 days period.Transnet Engineering has been accommodating enough to provide TransNamib with bridging finance for this transaction until TransNamib is able to raise its own financing from commercial banks and Development Funding Institutions.

To address the urgent needs of the fuel and mining industry for additional rail capacity, TransNamib is happy to announce that 3 of these locomotives should be ready for service in December with another 4 to be repaired in TransNamib’s workshops before the end of January 2015. The delivery and repair of the remaining locomotives will proceed in a steady stream of 3 to 4 locomotives a month to the end of April 2015.TransNamib announced that significant resources and energy will be dedicated towards heavy repairs, maintenance and upgrade of the rail infrastructure in order to ensure that our rail network is fit-for-purpose.