State-owned Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) has been granted a three-year safety permit by the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR), following a rigorous regulatory assessment of safety management systems, governance arrangements, risk management processes and controls required to manage safety across the rail infrastructure under its responsibility.

Since its establishment, TRIM says it has operated under the required regulatory safety permitting framework.

At inception, the organisation was granted a temporary safety permit, providing the necessary regulatory authorisation while the entity established and strengthened its safety management systems and institutional arrangements.

TRIM, in a media release, notes that the granting of the three-year safety permit therefore marks the progression from this initial permitting phase and reflects TRIM’s continued maturation as South Africa’s independent rail infrastructure manager.

The entity adds that the three-year permit provides further regulatory confidence in TRIM’s systems and processes to safely manage the national rail network and strengthens the safety foundation required to support South Africa’s rail reform programme.

The milestone comes at the peak of South Africa’s rail reform journey, as the freight rail sector transitions towards a more open and multi-operator environment.

TRIM says it is central to this transition as the infrastructure manager responsible for enabling fair and non-discriminatory access to the rail network while maintaining the integrity, reliability and safety of the infrastructure.

With new train operating companies gaining access to the network, TRIM says the effective management of safety interfaces between the TRIM and train operators becomes increasingly important.

A strong and independently regulated safety framework is, therefore, fundamental to ensuring that increased participation on the network is supported by appropriate governance, risk management and operational controls, the entity notes.

“Opening the rail network to greater participation brings significant opportunities for South Africa’s freight logistics system, but these opportunities must be enabled through a railway environment that is managed safely and responsibly.

“The granting of a safety permit by the RSR provides confidence in the systems TRIM has established as the infrastructure manager and highlights that safety remains central to how we enable rail reform,” says TRIM safety GM Andiswa Dlanga.

TRIM says the safety permit further strengthens its institutional foundation as it continues to facilitate third-party access and create an environment in which multiple operators can safely access and utilise the national rail network.

While the three-year safety permit represents significant progress, TRIM says it recognises that railway safety requires continuous improvement.

“The organisation will continue strengthening its safety management systems, managing operational and infrastructure risks, monitoring safety performance and working closely with the RSR and railway operators to maintain a safe operating environment,” the entity says.