Transnet’s wagon refurbishment facility in De Aar has been officially opened by Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown and Northern Cape Premier Sylvia Lucas.

The facility will maintain various types of wagons for Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) operations.

The investment of more than R30 million is aimed at increasing TFR’s capacity on the main corridor between Sentrarand and Cape Town, known as Capecor.

This facility has already created jobs and improved rail engineering skills in the area. It has employed 47 people, with 22 of them being from De Aar. It is estimated that about 300 direct and indirect jobs will be created through this facility.

The De Aar wagons depot will be run as a satellite workshop for the Transnet Rail Engineering Beaconsfield Depot in Kimberley and will have a production capacity of 250 wagons per annum.

Source: SAnews.gov.za