Transnet rail improvements lead to increase in coal exports

AI-summarized · Neutrality-checked

Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) performance on the coal corridor improved, with annualised volumes rising to 59.9 million tonnes (Mt) in the first half of 2026 from 56.8Mt in 2025. This uptick enabled coal producers like Thungela Resources to increase export sales by 12% to 7.4Mt and draw down stockpiles during a period of strengthening international prices. Industry analysts and companies such as Exxaro and Glencore attributed these gains to TFR's new management and locomotive fleet redistribution strategies. While export volumes at the Richards Bay Coal Terminal remain below 2017 peaks, the sector is targeting a 75Mt annual capacity on the coal line by 2028/29.

Consequences

The improved rail capacity is prompting producers to reconsider previously suspended expansion projects and increase export targets for the remainder of 2026. If TFR maintains this trajectory, the anticipated formalization of an infrastructure manager to oversee private market access may further accelerate coal corridor efficiency.

Sources

Know where. Know why.