Geographically spread across seven locations and based in South Africa, Rail Engineering (formerly Transwerk) has eight product-focused business units which provide services, ranging from refurbishment, conversion and upgrades, to the manufacturing of rail related rolling stock.
History and the Present
Rail Engineering's business originated early in the last century as the mechanical engineering workshops of the South African Railways and Harbours (SAR&H). The enterprise grew in parallel with the railways and became a separate operating division when the then South African Transport Services (Sats) was transformed in 1990 into a public company, Transnet.
Today the company's operations are guided by the very principles it shares with its parent group such as; environmental awareness, equal opportunity, empowerment, transformation and sound corporate governance.
Rail Engineering's products are in service from as far as the north of the arctic circle to the south of the tropic of Capricorn. In addition to this, the company exports to a score of countries over Europe, Africa and in Australia.
Further new markets are opening as Rail Engineering is awarded international contracts for wagon-building and locomotive upgrading against stiff competition.
The company has an ISP 9002 quality rating and is working towards ISO 14000. Product lines in several Rail Engineering facilities have been accredited as centres of excellence by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Rail Engineering's success is based on a combination of:
- well-located production facilities
- technologically advanced equipment
- valuable intellectual property
- engineers experienced in conditions in and beyond Africa
- a skilled workforce
- computerised costing and process control
In its home market, South Africa, Rail Engineering has designed and manufactured some of the world's longest and heaviest trains, including the 2.5-km-long 26 000-ton trains which move some 100 million tons of coal and iron ore a year over Spoornet's Mpumalanga, Richards Bay and Sishen Saldanha lines. The company's 5 600 employees take pride in the contributions these achievements are making to the strengthening of South Africa's gross domestic product.
Businesses
Rail Engineering comprises six product-focused businesses, each dedicated to a specific group of railway rolling stock equipment. While distinct in their operations, the businesses complement one another to enable Rail Engineering to supply a wide range of specialised products.
Locomotives
Rail Engineering's Locomotive business is the industry leader in Southern Africa, where its market share is some 80% of the region's requirements for new and remanufactured locomotives and for repair work. Either as original design or as a retrofit, the company is now able to equip vehicles with the latest in:
- microprocessor control
- high-level adhesion
- glass-screen control panels
- ergonomic cabs
New wagons
The company's Wagon Build business supplies some 500 new wagons a year to domestic and foreign customers. Award-winning high-load-to-tare designs are available for a range of coal and ore wagons, cement and fuel tankers and customer specials.
Remanufactured Coaches
The Coach business attends to the refurbishment, conversion, upgrading and repair of a wide range of passenger coaches, guards' vans, motor-wagons and steam-heated vehicles.
Freight wagon Refurbishment
Known as RFR, this business specialises in a range of freight rolling stock refurbishment and related activities, including repairs, modifications, conversions and upgrading. Successful bogie upgrading and re-gauging applications have provided low-cost extended life spans for high-value capital equipment.
Components
This Rail Engineering business includes production lines for rolling stock equipment, rotating machinery and wheels. A combination of advanced technology, standards and modern test equipment has led to a rapid and fourfold increase in the turnover of this business.
Tarpaulins
This niche business manufactures PVC coated fabric tarpaulins to the highest international standards. Tarpaulins are also repaired, cleaned and leased to rail and road transport operators throughout Africa. This business also manufactures a range of auxiliary products including lashing chains.
Common to all Rail Engineering's activities is the company's practice of making an expert technical investigation of each customer's requirements, on the findings from which it can produce purpose-built transport vehicles and components that are cost-effective and efficient to their users.
The Future
The business objective for Rail Engineering, over the next few years, is expected to grow strongly in the locomotive and wagon manufacture areas as the capacity for iron ore, coal and general freight continue to expand. This, coupled with the passenger/commuter increase as forecast by the SARCC as a result of the 2010 World Cup, places Rail Engineering in a highly favourable position.
Having conducted successful business in Africa for over 15 years, Rail Engineering is positive that future endeavours will continue with even greater effort.
For more information, go to Transnet Rail Engineering