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Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has welcomed comments by the chemical industry that they would prefer to transport its goods by rail.

The Minister said that the main challenge facing South Africa is to modernize its railway system.

"The main challenge facing South Africa is to modernize its railway system in a manner that promotes growth and development. We need new rail technologies to meet the demands of the 21st century. Our ability to efficiently move freight and people is vital to a modern, thriving economy.

"It is of paramount importance that South Africa and Africa move into the mainstream of international railway technology, and as such we will carefully study success stories around the world that will take us into the future.

"To this end, we undertook an official visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 3 to 10 March 2010. The main aim of the visit was to strengthen ties between China and South Africa in the transport sector, with the specific focus of the visit being on rail transport.

"We have learnt some very interesting lessons and gained valuable insights into the Chinese rail transport sector. These include the role of technology, which is a key driver for a modern railway system. Local manufacturing capacities are also vital, as outlined in South Africa's Industrial Strategy which places emphasis on local manufacturing. Therefore, in our determination to modernize our railway system, we must ensure that we build capacity, not only for South Africa, but for the SADC Region as a whole. Skills development is also of paramount importance as a modern, integrated railway system requires a specific set of skills. As an integral part, our modernization drive should be accompanied by a skills drive aimed at delivering skilled engineers, artisans, train drivers and so on.

"The National Transport Master Plan (NATMAP) 2050 calls for a demand responsive, integrated, dynamic, long-term and sustainable land use/multimodal transportation systems framework for the socio-economic development of South Africa until 2050. As part of NATMAP, critical national projects have been identified as macro-socio economic infrastructure for the overall economic performance of the country," said the Minister