Eskom has started construction of a 68km heavy haul private railway line to the Majuba power station. This project will help alleviate traffic congestion.

The R5.2 billion investment, which will facilitate the transportation of 21-million metric (mt) tonnes of coal with trains each year, started in May and is set for completion in mid-2016.

In an official statement, the company disclosed that “the construction of this dedicated railway comes as Eskom ramps up output at its Majuba power station to meet South Africa’s growing need for power”.

The 90-year old energy firm said the coal line project would consist of a private railway line starting about 8km west of Ermelo and would be accessible to various coal mines in the area.

Eskom is considered to be the largest producer of electricity in Africa and is among the top seven utilities in the world in terms of generation capacity and among the top nine in terms of sales.