Grindrod ran the first private test train on South Africa’s national freight network, Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) said on Tuesday.
The empty leg left Komatipoort on 1 November. The train came back on 2 November carrying 2,991 tonnes, according to an SAnews report. TRIM is a division of Transnet. SAnews reported that the operation used Grindrod-owned locomotives and wagons.
What the test train shows
SAnews reported that the run follows Rail Access Agreements with 12 train operating companies, Grindrod among them. It said the test train came after the safety, regulatory and operational readiness checks that third parties must clear before they can run on the network under the open access framework.
TRIM Chief Executive Moshe Motlohi said open access “is no longer a policy concept but an operational reality”. TRIM is the custodian of the national rail infrastructure and manages access for the operators.
Grindrod first said it had been awarded third-party access to the Transnet network on 22 August 2025, after the Department of Transport’s media briefing that day. The SAnews article does not mention that 2025 award. Grindrod’s chief executive at the time, Xolani Mbambo, said in the company’s release that it was “honoured for the recognition to play a role in South Africa’s rail reform”. The company said the award came with the chance to take part in private freight operations.
What Grindrod plans
SAnews reported that Grindrod plans to begin commercial operations in 2027, moving about 288,000 tonnes in the first year. It has two allocated slots on the North-East Corridor and will mainly move coal from Mpumalanga to its Matola Terminal in Mozambique.
Group Chief Executive Officer Kwazi Mabaso said the company can pair rail operations with its terminal infrastructure and corridor footprint, which he said lets it offer customers efficiency, reliability and value.
By our calculation, the 288,000-tonne plan equals about 96 trains the size of the test train over a full year. The article did not say how many trains a year Grindrod will run, how often, or what it will charge customers for the coal it carries.
What the statement leaves out
The article did not say what the other operators plan. It gave no dates for when other operators will run test trains, no rail tariffs and no volumes for any operator other than Grindrod, so the effect on freight prices cannot yet be judged from the record.
Our earlier story on the iron ore line maintenance shutdown covers Transnet’s other rail work. The next step is Grindrod’s start of commercial service in 2027.
