The South-African Cabinet has welcomed the opening of the R3.4 billion Newlyn Park Bayhead Rail Terminal project at the Port of Durban, which consists of 640,000 square meters of warehousing, rail sidings and open storage.
"The new terminal will facilitate the efficient movement of sea, rail and road cargo through the Port of Durban, and help address the recent challenges experienced in the logistics, infrastructure and network industries," a Cabinet statement said on Monday.
The investment resulted in 4,013 direct construction jobs and the full-time employment of more than 1,000 people, with this number expected to grow as the facility handles more cargo.
"In revitalizing our country's rail network, Cabinet also welcomed the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa's (PRASA) successful restoration of five crucial Metrorail services across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
"PRASA effectively brought 31 of its 40 lines back into partial operation and is working on achieving full operational status. The milestone demonstrates government's commitment to revitalizing passenger rail services and providing an efficient public transport option for South Africans," Cabinet said.
In a related development, Cabinet welcomed the announcement by the South African National Roads Agency that it would inject over R50 billion into road infrastructure development in the Eastern Cape. This infrastructure investment is geared towards the construction of new facilities, road improvements and strengthening, and special maintenance of the national road network in the province.
Source: sanews.gov.za