Transnet dismissed reports earlier this week that suggest its locomotive acquisition programme is going downhill.

Media reports recently indicated that new Chinese-manufactured locomotives had hit a stumbling block as technical problems plagued the first set of trains that were due to arrive in South Africa.

Transnet said its locomotive acquisition programme is on track.

“China North Rail (CNR), which has since merged with China South Rail (CSR) to form CRRC, has delivered two prototype locomotives for testing in South African conditions,” Transnet said in a statement, and added that it was “normal procedure to make a prototype and test it before handing it over to the buyer”.

The company said that only once a locomotive was tested and accepted that it would become part of the normal fleet.

The two locomotives had pre-commissioning glitches, which CNR has attended to.

“In terms of the contract, CNR would manufacture the first 20 locomotives in their facility in China, while the balance will be assembled at the Transnet Manufacturing facility in Durban,” Transnet said. “Our engineers have been liaising with CNR as part of the process to get the prototypes accepted.”

No locomotives delivered yet

None of the locomotives have been delivered to Transnet yet, however they are going through the normal testing procedures prior to acceptance and commissioning.

The company said the past 10 years has bought hundreds of locomotives from various Original Equipment Manufacturers to South Africa. These include EMD, General Electric, Mitsui and CSR.

Transnet said that in all these instances, similar tests were run before acceptance.

Standard testing

“We wish to put on record that such testing is standard,” Transnet said. “Each and every locomotive goes through the process.”

Transnet said the discovery of technical glitches is no indication of poor workmanship, engineering or design.

Two years ago, Transnet awarded a contract for the acquisition of 1,064 diesel and electric locomotives as part of its locomotive fleet renewal programme from four global manufactures – two Chinese, one Canadian and one from the United States.

“Since the announcement of the agreement with all four manufacturers, testing has been performed, glitches identified and addressed and in various instances, they have varied their supplier lists in line with changing circumstances,” Transnet said.

In line with Transnet’s standard engineering and commissioning processes regarding specialised equipment, a team of experts from engineering and operations is headed to China to do initial tests and discuss the company’s observations of the locomotives for testing.

Transnet said it was “both inaccurate and mischievous to deliberately misinterpret an internationally recognised quality assurance process to advance devious ideological schemes and at the same time, casting aspersions on Transnet’s image and integrity of our processes.”

It added that the company runs many Chinese-made locomotives on its network and that they run excellently.

“The 1,064 acquisition programme is conducted by mutual agreement between the company and its suppliers, and we are satisfied with the progress and quality of products,” Transnet said.