Transnet completes restoration of key commodity rail line
State-owned logistics operator Transnet said on Friday it has completed the restoration of the Cape Mainline rail link following storm damage in May.
Heavy rainfall, strong winds and flooding on May 11 and 12 caused extensive damage to railway infrastructure, resulting in sections of the line being closed for more than two months, the Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) said in a statement.
The Cape Mainline is a strategic mixed-freight corridor linking Cape Town with South Africa’s inland rail network.
It carries containers, agricultural products, industrial goods, and minerals between the Port of Cape Town and the country’s economic heartland.
The line was first opened to diesel trains on July 31, before it was fully reopened for electric trains in August 2026, TRIM said.