Overview
The Central Corridor consists of the Krugersdorp-to-Mafikeng line, including Lichtenburg-to-Coligny mainline and surrounding branchlines as well as the Sentra and Complex in the center of the Gauteng province.
The Central Corridor is geographically positioned in the centre of the Transnet freight Rail (TFR) network and fulfils and enabling role for cross-network rail traffic and is also a source of rail demand for automotive, container, chemicals, grain, fuel and chrome commodity segments. It is often referred to as a “hybrid” corridor or rail junction. The geographic scope of the Central Corridor extends from the Pretoria operational area at the northern boundary as far south as Vereeniging onto Warrenton and westwards towards the Botswana border – incorporating operating areas of Lichtenburg and Krugersdorp.).
The enabling network comprises the key junction and interfaces railway areas of Pretoria, Isando and Sentrarand – known as the Central Hub – with PRASA, the passenger rail service. This Central Hub is the pivot or junction for rail traffic moving between the other corridors, that totals between 20mtpa and 40mtpa, with high-revenue commodities of chrome (between Rustenburg and Richards Bay, Maputo and Witbank), coal (from Lephalale to Richards Bay, Vanderbijlpark and Newcastle, iron ore (from Postmasburg to Bijlkor and Newcastle) and manganese (Postmasburg to Richards Bay) and time-sensitive traffic of containers and vehicles (between Isando, Pretoria and Durban).