The Transnet iron ore line

Johannesburg, South Africa --- MININGREVIEW.COM --- 27 July 2010 - Logistics group Transnet's iron ore rail line ‒ which was shut down on Friday after a train derailment ‒ is expected to remain closed until tomorrow, according to a company spokesman.

“The line still remains closed and the estimated time of opening is Wednesday,” said company spokesman Sandile Simelani, adding that the company would only start working out losses from the closure after an investigation into the incident.

“We will need to conduct an enquiry to establish what happened. We will also need to clear the iron ore from the rail track before the line can be opened, but I cannot tell exactly when this is going to happen,” Simelani told Reuters.

Transnet said exports of iron ore in the 2010 financial year had risen to 44.7 million tonnes, in line with customer commitments, compared with 36.8 million tonnes in the previous financial year.