South Africa unveils National Rail Master Plan to revitalize rail network
via The Namibian5 min read
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has introduced the National Rail Master Plan NRMP, aiming to position rail as the backbone of South Africa's logistics and transport ecosystem. The plan seeks to build a resilient, adaptable, and dynamically scalable rail system to serve the nation's economic and social goals. The Department of Transport Strategic Plan and the NRMP target increasing annual freight volumes on the Transnet rail network to 250 million tonnes by 2030, from the current 160-167 million tonnes. Both documents advocate for the vertical separation of rail infrastructure from operations and the establishment of the Rail Infrastructure Manager Trim as a Transnet subsidiary, which will grant open, non-discriminatory network access to private sector participation and third-party train operating companies. The plan also highlights the importance of the National Rail Bill and the Transport Economic Regulator. Transnet Group CEO Michelle Phillips noted that the organization has faced infrastructure deterioration, equipment shortages, governance failures, and financial constraints. The NRMP proposes a differentiated funding model, with freight rail operating on a commercial, user-pays basis with private sector investment, while passenger rail requires direct government subsidies for affordable mobility. A significant challenge for Transnet includes outstanding advance payments of R4.2 billion for 305 electric and diesel locomotives from CRRC entities, whose contracts are susp
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
Adam Ramsay-Peaty, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, secured a bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games, falling short of his bid for a fourth Commonwealth gold. Sam Williamson of Australia won gold in the event with a time of 59.17 seconds, while Filip Nowacki took silver, earning Jersey's first Commonwealth medal in 36 years. Ramsay-Peaty, whose wife Holly Ramsay was present, hinted at considering his future in the sport, questioning the commitment required for the 100m event as he anticipates becoming a father of two. He is scheduled to compete in the 50m breaststroke final. Meanwhile, Australia dominated the swimming events, securing five golds and leading the medal table with 12 golds compared to England and Nigeria's three. Notable Australian victories included Sam Short leading a 1-2-3 finish in the men's 400m freestyle and Mollie O鈥機allaghan contributing to another 1-2 in the women鈥檚 200m freestyle. Pieter Coetze of South Africa set a new Commonwealth record in the 50m backstroke. In other sports, Australia won the women's team final in gymnastics and began their netball title defense with a win against Tonga. England defeated Northern Ireland in netball, setting up a match against Australia. Scottish athlete Eilish McColgan will miss the 10,000m title defense due to injury. English teenage gymnast Gabriel Langton was cleared after a fall during the men's gymnastic final.
Two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua secured a second-round knockout victory against Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, despite being knocked down twice in the first round. This win paves the way for a highly anticipated all-British fight against Tyson Fury. The match marked Joshua's return to the ring after a car crash in Nigeria in December, which resulted in the deaths of two close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. Joshua attributed his comeback in the second round to the spirit of his friends. Prenga, an Albanian fighter with a strong knockout record, initially dominated, sending Joshua to the canvas with a right uppercut and then again later in the first round. However, Joshua recovered in the second round, using his jab and left hand to inflict damage before a combination, capped by a right hand, sent Prenga through the ropes at 2:43 of the second round. Joshua, now with a record of 30-4, including 27 knockouts, and Fury, who also won his recent fight against Mariusz Wach, are expected to face each other in November. Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that the contract for the Joshua-Fury fight has been signed.
Must ReadTranslocated Namibian cheetahs in India's Kuno National Park are successfully spearheading the revival of the species in Asia, with the national cheetah population now at 57, including 37 Indian-born cubs. This milestone is attributed to the adaptability of individual cheetahs like Jwala, Aasha, and Siyaya, who have produced multiple litters. Jwala, a matriarch, recently delivered her third litter of five cubs, marking the tenth successful litter in India. Aasha has shown remarkable adaptability across varied habitats, while Siyaya's seven wild-born cubs have reached maturity and hunt independently. Male founders Elton and Oban also contributed to the genetic legacy before their deaths. The program achieved a critical benchmark when Mukhi, the first cheetah born in India under Project Cheetah, reached adulthood and gave birth to five cubs. These free-ranging cheetahs hunt naturally, maintaining a kill interval of 6.68 days on native prey. Despite initial challenges and sharing the landscape with native predators, adaptive management by Indian and Namibian scientific teams has led to high survival rates, with adult annual survival over 85% and juvenile cub survival nearly 70%. Project Cheetah, a symbol of South-South cooperation between Namibia and India, aims to restore open-forest and grassland ecosystems, drawing inspiration from India's successful Project Tiger.