President Jacob Zuma will on Tuesday, 4 April 2017 officially launch the Trans African Locomotive in Pretoria.

This is the first ever train that has been designed, engineered and manufactured locally by the State-Owned Entity, Transnet, which will serve the African continent.

The locomotive is specifically customised to African conditions and is suitable for use on branch lines and in shunting yards.

Transnet designed the original underframe, superstructure, bogies, body and locomotive control system to withstand the African environment and is needs-specific to the continent.

Through the Trans Africa Locomotive, Transnet has heeded the resolution taken at the 2015 Heads of State and Government Summit of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, for South Africa to champion the manufacturing and supply of rail stock in Africa.

Other intended benefits of the Trans Africa Locomotive for South Africa and the continent include:

• Regional integration
• Localisation
• Industrialisation
• Skills development
• Road-to-rail migration

The prospective socio-economic spin-offs of the project are crucial in enabling government to address the triple challenge of unemployment, poverty and inequality in the country, in line with the National Development Plan and Vision 2030.

The details of the launch are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 4 April 2017
Time: 10h00
Venue: Transnet Engineering, Kilner Park, Pretoria

Enquiries:
Dr Bongani Ngqulunga
Cell: 082 308 9373
E-mail: bongani@presidency.gov.za