Logistics group Grindrod has become the first private company to run a train on South Africa’s national freight rail network under the new open access framework.
Grindrod and Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) completed a test train on the North-East Corridor in November 2026, Daily Investor reported.
The train left Komatipoort in Mpumalanga on 1 November without any load. It came back on 2 November carrying 2,991 tonnes of cargo.
The run used locomotives and wagons owned by Grindrod. According to the report, this showed the company is ready to start services on the corridor.
“It demonstrates that open access is no longer a policy concept but an operational reality,” TRIM chief executive Moshe Motlohi said.
Motlohi called the test a landmark for the country’s rail reform programme. He said working with private operators would help build a more competitive and efficient rail network.
The test followed the signing of rail access agreements with 12 train operating companies, including Grindrod. These deals allow private operators to use Transnet’s national freight rail network.
Grindrod plans to start commercial operations in 2027. The company expects to move 288,000 tonnes of cargo in its first year.
It has been given two slots on the North-East Corridor. It will mainly carry coal from Mpumalanga to its Matola Terminal in Mozambique.
According to the report, future growth will depend on space on the corridor, extra slots and better efficiency.
Group CEO Kwazi Mabaso said the test showed the practical benefits of rail reform.
“As an integrated logistics provider, the ability to combine rail operations with our terminal infrastructure and corridor footprint enables us to deliver greater efficiency, reliability and value to our customers,” Mabaso said.
He said Grindrod was proud to work with TRIM to help make rail the main way to move bulk freight again.
The North-East Corridor links the country’s mining and industrial areas with regional markets and export ports.
The test is part of a wider push to bring private money and skills into Transnet’s rail and port operations. The state-owned group has faced years of falling freight volumes, low investment and money problems.
Transnet reported revenue of R88.56 billion for the 2025/26 financial year, up 7.1%. It made a profit of R4.6 billion, its first full-year profit since 2022/23.
This followed a loss of R1.9 billion in 2024/25 and a loss of R7.3 billion in 2023/24. The sale of its interest in Durban Container Terminal Pier 2 also helped the result.
National Treasury gave Transnet a R47 billion guarantee in December 2023. It added another R51 billion guarantee in May 2025.
In December 2025, Transnet signed a deal with Philippines-based ICTSI for Durban’s Container Terminal Pier 2. ICTSI can buy almost half of the terminal for R10.5 billion and run it for 25 years.
Transnet is also looking for a private partner to expand and run the Ngqura manganese export corridor. The project could cost up to R44 billion and would link Northern Cape mines with Eastern Cape ports.
Source: this article is based on reporting by Daily Investor. Image: Daily Investor. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Business desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Anelisa Nkuna covers business and money news for Tzaneen Voice. Anelisa reports on the rand, fuel prices, interest rates, jobs, Eskom, Transnet, farming and company results. The aim is simple: explain what the numbers mean for household budgets, small businesses and workers in South Africa.