Rail Chamber

The rail industry deals with the transportation of goods, passengers and livestock by rail; the control, management accomplishment, maintenance and exploitation of railways and rail services; the maintenance, servicing, repair, overhaul and testing locomotives; rolling stock; and support services. The SIC code is: 71112 – Railway Commuter and Freight Services.

The main companies in the subsector are:

• Transnet SOC Ltd
• The Passenger Rail Agency South Africa (PRASA); and
• Several medium-sized rail enterprises.

The other operators comprise rail entities at the ports, cross border operations, rail heritage and surface operators on mines. In addition, municipal sidings and service lines, which provide access from the national network to private sidings for numerous operators in the agricultural, manufacturing and petro-chemical sectors. Infrastructure development projects are underway to improve the quality of the railway lines in South Africa.

The Chamber represent TETA in the Free State with regard to all TETA activities in the absence physical presence in the Province. Through the Premiers Office, the Chamber participate in structures such as the Provincial Skills Development Forum (PSDF) to ensure the skill development matters in the transport sector are catered for. The Chamber Reports on TETA-wide activities in the province on a quarterly basis.

The Chamber participate with other Government Institutions, Parastatals, Public and Private sector to engage with young entrepreneurs, with scholars on career orientation and with tertiary students and unemployed youths on possible job, internship and/or learnership opportunities.

TETA has adopted 6 schools through the Provincial Department of Education and the Chamber facilitates the provision of information and career guidance to encourage new entrants to the Transport sector as well as assisting the schools in increasing the pass rate in Mathematics and Science subjects and to market transport related careers at a tender age among others.

The Chamber also ensures there is publicity materials at the Inter-SETA office situated at Motheo TVET College, in Bloemfontein where Bank SETA is the coordinating SETA in the province

Other responsibilities that are of beneficiary to the rail stakeholders at large are listed below:

• Development and implementation of the sector skills plan (Hard-To-Fill Skills).
• Facilitate high Quality Education and Training Delivery in the Workplace through our stakeholders.
• Approval of Workplace Skills Plans (WSP), Annual Training Reports (ATR), Pivotal Training Plans (PTR), Pivotal Training Reports (PTR).
• Levy Collection and Disbursement of Grants in the Rail sub-sector.
• Monitoring of Education, Training and Development (ETD) activities in the sector - funded and non-funded.
• Manage and establish relationships (TVET & HET institutions, Government, associations and rail stakeholders).
• Market the chamber activities.

Employee and employer representatives in the sector include:

• The South African Transport Allied Workers Union (SATAWU)
• United National Transport Union (UTATU),
• African Rail Industry Association (ARIA)
• Railway Safety Regulator (RSR)
• Transport and Logistics Employers Association (TLEA)
• Delays in implementing training projects;
• Lack of employment opportunities for learners after training completion;
• Insufficient funding for projects/training interventions.
• Democratized Transport Logistics and Allied Workers Union (DETAWU)
• Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE)
• Railway Development Association Africa (RDA)

Chamber Committee Members

In 2015, Transnet SOC Limited estimated a need for R330 billion rolling stock investment programme with the objective of expanding the country’s freight railway, ports and pipeline infrastructure and to improve operational effectiveness of the freight logistics system. This would transform freight rail into one of the world’s biggest rail freight companies. It was also estimated that rail volumes will increase from 210 million tons to 350 million tons during the period” (SOE Review, 22/11/2016)

This investment would boost the economic growth of the country and ease traffic on the roads, as more freight would be diverted to rail instead of road. With a network spanning 20 247km of rail, South Africa has the 14th longest railway track in the world, connecting ports with the rest of the country.

Passenger rail is also being completely overhauled with a 20-year fleet renewal programme in place to buy more than 7 200 new trains. Managed and implemented by the PRASA, the programme focuses on revitalising the local industry through local manufacturing of components. The existing rail network will be upgraded to take advantage of the new coaches’ technological features (Brand SA, 28 Jun 2017).

On the other hand, Bombela Operating Company and other agencies provide international standards of public transport with high levels of safety, reliability, predictability and comfort. The 77 kilometres long Gautrain aims to improve efficiency of the public transport system and help alleviate traffic congestion along the Ben Schoeman highway. It integrates other forms of public transport such as taxis, buses and the Metrorail public train system while linking the country’s capital, Pretoria, the business hub of Johannesburg and the Ekurhuleni aerotropolis. The Gautrain, Africa’s only high-speed train, services Johannesburg, Pretoria and OR Tambo International Airport, transporting 62 000 people daily.

One of the key priorities in rail is to improve railway safety is through a risk-based approach. By providing an independent regulatory function, with a particular focus on high-risk areas, and working together with the railway industry to achieve this goal, a Railway Safety Inspector would be well positioned to minimise the likelihood of major rail incidents more effectively and make this mode of transport even safer.

One of the key priorities in rail is to improve railway safety is through a risk-based approach. By providing an independent regulatory function, with a particular focus on high-risk areas, and working together with the railway industry to achieve this goal, a Railway Safety Inspector would be well positioned to minimise the likelihood of major rail incidents more effectively and make this mode of transport even safer.

Ultimately, rail safety requires collaboration with government, the transport industry and public sector. Only a concerted effort from all parties involved will see a reduction of transport fatalities in South Africa. TETA collaborated with the RSR to develop the Railway Safety Inspector qualification, which will provide the industry with trained inspectors to facilitate this collaboration at the root levels of the industry. The learning materials are being developed in partnership with the University of Pretoria currently and is at an advanced stage.

In terms of how the future workforce is envisaged to look like in not so far away future, the jobs that will disappear are, Train drivers, Train guards, Information points and ticketing offices, Station staff at ticketing barrier and the following jobs will be on the rise – Big data analysts, Climate change experts, Cybersecurity experts, Internet of things as well as digitalization specialists.