About the project
The Eswatini Rail Link Project (ESRL) is a seamless project running across two countries, South Africa and Eswatini. The project is collaboration between two companies, namely, Eswatini Rail (from Eswatini) and Transnet Freight Rail (from South Africa). The project entails the construction of a 150 kilometre new railway line from Lothair in South Africa to Sidvokodvo in Eswatini and revamping two existing lines, the first from Ermelo to Lothair in South Africa and the other one from Sidvokodvo in Eswatini to Richards Bay in South Africa.
ESRL project was conceptualised with the aim of relieving Transnet Freight Rail’s export coal line of general freight cargo that runs from the Mpumalanga Province to the Port of Richards Bay. The newly constructed and revamped lines will enable Transnet Freight Rail to divert the general freight cargo through Eswatini to the Port of Richards Bay. The diversion will free capacity on the export coal line therefore allowing for more coal to be railed to the Richards Bay Coal Terminal.
