African mining transporter Transnet has shut down both the rail line and port terminal in Western Cape, South Africa, for scheduled maintenance spanning 10 days.
According to media reports, the 861km rail corridor which hauls iron ore from Sishen, Northern Cape to the terminal, will see a replacement of 5km of catenary wire and 1.2km of contact wire, along with 30,623 sleepers. Ballast screening will also be undertaken across many kilometers of rail.
At the terminal, both electric and structural repairs will be performed by the state-backed transporter. While the impact on exports has not been disclosed, the Saldanha terminal is capable of handling about 60mn mt of iron ore per year.