Transnet Traxx 23E locomotive milestone in Durban rail

Transnet Traxx 23E locomotive production in Durban has reached a major milestone. South Africa’s state-owned transport company has unveiled the 200th unit from its local assembly line with Alstom, a development highlighted by Ecofin Agency, reinforcing efforts to renew its freight fleet and stabilise rail capacity.

• The 200th Transnet Traxx 23E locomotive marks a key step in freight fleet renewal
• A 240-unit locomotive order with Alstom anchors the rail modernization drive
• The programme is designed to counter rail freight decline and rising logistics costs

Transnet Traxx 23E locomotive order with Alstom

The newly completed 200th locomotive is part of a 240-unit order that sits at the core of Transnet’s freight fleet modernization strategy, as also noted by South Africa’s official news service SAnews. The project began in 2014 with Bombardier Transport, and Alstom later took over industrial operations after acquiring the company, continuing local assembly work at the Durban facility.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

A new agreement concluded in 2023 accelerated the manufacturing schedule and gave the programme fresh momentum. On this basis, 43 locomotives are being produced in 2024 — the strongest annual output since the initiative started — underlining how the 240-unit order with Alstom is being used to rebuild rail freight capacity.

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Durban assembly line and impact on South Africa’s freight economy

Transnet expects to complete the remaining 40 locomotives in the series by June 2026. Progress at the Durban assembly line comes as the operator works to reverse several years of operational decline that have generated financial losses and weakened its ability to support the mining sector and South Africa’s foreign trade — issues that have also been analysed in more detail by Railway Supply.

Ongoing rail performance challenges have reduced freight volumes on the network and pushed some cargo onto the roads. This shift has contributed to higher logistics costs across the wider South African economy, so the Transnet Traxx 23E locomotive programme and the Durban production hub are intended to restore more reliable rail freight services and relieve pressure on the national logistics system.

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