State-owned Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) on June 5 reported that its iron-ore corridor had been severely impacted on by a derailment and cable theft.
TFR said 20 iron-ore loaded wagons had derailed between Loop 9 and 10 of the corridor in the early morning of June 5.
This followed the theft of 23 spans of cable on the Kolomela line, in the Northern Cape, on the night of June 4.
"Both events have significantly impacted our ability to continue with normal operations, causing inconvenience and delays to our valued customers," it stated.
Operations on the rail line had also ground to a halt the week before as a result of cable theft.