By Nangamso Mabindla
24 October 2005

DOING business between Mthatha and East London will be a lot easier thanks to the redevelopment of the 360km railway line linking the two cities.

To celebrate national Car Free Day on Thursday, 20 October, the provincial department of roads and transport took guests on a train ride to the Transkei to show that the project - launched in 2003 - was well on track.

Talking about the benefits of the rail project, which is part of the Kei Development Corridor, MEC for Roads and Transport Thobile Mhlahlo said that when it was completed, the project would be very special to the people of the Eastern Cape.

"We would like to use it as an engine to reposition our people when it comes to black economic empowerment. We need to change the quality of life of our people," Mhlahlo explained.

Moving back to rail was the way to go if the government was serious about economic development in the province, and cutting down on the numbers of heavy duty vehicles on the roads.

"We need to spearhead the process, but we need to be careful to do that within the context of economic building," Mhlahlo said.

The people who would benefit the most from the Kei Rail Project were locals. "We have established a Thetha/Hear campaign with the Walter Sisulu University. This will help us give rail-related skills development programmes to local people."

Other benefits of a revitalised Kei railway included the strengthening of the N2 road/rail corridor to attract investment for development, and the providing of high standard, integrated road/rail transport services to customers in the region served by the railway line, the N2 road and other feeder roads.

Taking the train from East London to Mthatha: the redevelopment of the railway line is on track

Initially the railway line would be used for transporting products like timber from places like Ugie and Langeni and the Port St Johns and Lusikisiki areas. "These will be exported from the East London harbour, so that means our river port will be very busy once this rail project comes to fruition."

Later, passenger trains would use the line, helping to boost tourism.

"Rail will help us unearth the wonders of the area; when I took the train to Butterworth I saw some of the most beautiful places in the country," Mhlahlo added.

More than 100 delegates were on the train trip, which took two hours to travel from Komga in the Great Kei Municipality to Butterworth in the Mnquma region.

However, they were promised that it would only take four hours for the train to travel the 200 kilometres between East London and Mthatha.

Talking about the long-term vision of the Kei Rail Project, Mhlahlo said it was intended to develop a high-speed, modern, state-of-the-art railway line in the Kei Development Corridor.

"This will facilitate a demand-responsive and cost-effective alternative mode of transport in regard to freight and passenger services between East London and Mthatha."

The future looked bright for economic development in the province and people living in the Kei region. Other potential projects that formed part of the Kei Development Corridor included the N2 toll road, the mass food production project and the Kei Fresh Produce Market, the East London Development Zone, the Wild Coast Development Initiative and other tourism initiatives.