Africa Rail

A week has now passed since NGRT was at Africa Rail as event sponsors, a very well attended exhibition and a great experience to visit Johannesburg. Here is my feedback on the event itself... There was a genuine want and need in South Africa for infrastructure monitoring, as due to many years of neglect the tracks are not in the state they once were. NGRT will work with local partners to ensure there are improvements moving forward. Vandalism and theft – These topics were raised again and again by attendees, and this is where it is important the infrastructure manager and the local authorities are on the same page. Solutions can be put in place, for instance by using NGRT’s technology in co-operation with operators. Young and ambitious workforce – In addition to high level management, it was encouraging that a lot of the people visiting our stand with questions were young, educated, up and coming rail industry workers with a passion for the role. This can only be a good thing for South Africa as we move into the future. From an NGRT point of view, the event was a great success, with our stand very busy both days with people touching the technology, seeing how it works in real time and asking so many questions, which was great. With a further two visits to the Africa (at least) planned by the end of the year, we look to continue to grow our presence in Africa, and the goal is to have installations in several other African countries by the end of 2024. If you were at the event but didnt manage to visit the stand and would like further information, please get in touch. Next Generation Rail Technologies S.L. #AfricaRail

Thrilled to attend the Africa Rail conference last week, 25-26 June in Johannesburg, South Africa. I’ve had the privilege to participate in different speaking sessions. Day -1: I made presentation about strategies to ensure sustainability of the African Rail network highlighting the Ethiopian rail network history (narrow gauge, diesel-powered), the achievements of a new electrified standard gauge rail network, the challenges, and wrapping up with the strategies to overcome and ensure sustainability of the Africa rail. - I’ve also participated on a strategic panel discussion session with a flexible and communicable moderator Sifiso Nzimande, panelists Victor Shange (PMP) and Wilson Mogoba on the burning question of owning and leasing rolling assets: reviewing the benefits and drawbacks. Day 2: I participated on another panel discussion, Electric or Diesel: debating questions on flexibility, infrastructure cost, logistics, and sustainability with broaden–knowledge moderator David Taylor and experienced operation manager Anil Kumar. It was an exciting learning and networking event with the African Rail stakeholders, operators, manufacturers, suppliers, and experts.

Congratulations to the women in our Africa Rail 2024 team who have been presented with awards for their work within the industry. A huge thanks to Alstom for hosting this ceremony, marking the major impact women have on the rail industry globally and throughout Africa. #AfricaRail

This year’s Africa Rail is a wrap - what a great success! 🇦🇹🇿🇦🚆 #advantageaustria #mobility #railway #surprisinglyingenious

[AFRICA RAIL RECAP] The PRASA Power Hour, led by GCEO Hishaam Emeran at the Africa Rail Conference was a spectacular display of our engineering capabilities and our resilience, as delegates heard from the dynamic team of young women and men engineers and project managers behind PRASA's rebuild and turnaround success. #PowerHour #AfricaRail

We had a great time at Africa Rail 2024! We got so much energy from meeting exchanging ideas and ambitions with rail experts, business partners, industry-specific media and visitors.   This major rail event was the perfect opportunity to present our Youth Mobility Vision: amplifying the concerns and solutions imagined by our youth regarding a future of mobility that is more inclusive, both human and innovative, eco-conscious and sustainable, connecting more people and cities in South Africa and beyond.   I was proud to represent Bombela Operating Company (PTY) LTD. and RATP Dev along with Bongumusa Hadebe, Cornelius Nortje, Adeyemi Ishekwene and Didier Lescloupé. We were pleased to count on Pierre CICION’s presence, RATP Dev’s new Vice President Middle East and Africa.   Many thanks to the organisation team at Africa Rail, Railways Africa Magazine, African Natural Capital Alliance, ARIA - African Rail Industry Association, IDC and Hishaam Emeran CEO of PRASA.   A big thank you to my team who has been working hard to make this participation to Africa Rail a collective success. Shiksha Lebogang Thuli Thuy Charlotte Lauren Percy Patricia Clifford Cleopatra

Congratulations to the women in our Africa Rail 2024 team who have been presented with awards for their work within the industry. A huge thanks to Alstom for hosting this ceremony, marking the major impact women have on the rail industry globally and throughout Africa. #AfricaRail

Yesterday was another great day at Africa Rail. I tried to spend a bit more time on the exhibition floor and network with the various service providers and others in attendance. I saw some great model train sets and it made the experience of the conference that much more interesting, and it really went a long way to make a complex topic easy to digest with something as simple as a toy train. The number of components used in rolling stock manufacturing is significant with each playing a critical role in getting passengers and freight from A to B, and there is a lot that goes into the successful setup of a fully-fledged system. I also thoroughly enjoyed connecting delegates and tapping into the opportunities to streamline efforts toward a cohesive result. Despite the ongoing challenges in the local context there was a lot of positivity in the air with regard to rail, with many being prepared to offer support, and not to just via financing and equipment supply, but also through a direct understanding of the nuances regarding challenges and needs on ground level as they pertain to Africa. Here are my key takeaways: - Policy and regulatory alignments need to match both national and regional prerogatives, as well as future needs (both local and international). - Digitalisation and Al will permeate increasingly and require alignment not only in one African market, but across them (the same applies to rolling stock). - Setting up value chains alongside rail developments and installations has significant potential for job creation, both in rail and in parallel to it. - Embracing the potential of youth development along the way to generate economies of scale will be key going forward; Africa has 500 million under 19s, the EU is 450 million people in total. - Adding to the last point, its possible to start a business, with no financing, in 5 weeks, and generate profit, which in the context of value chain development, could result in significant opportunities for knock-on beneficiation. All in all, a very exciting two days with many connections made - I will be checking in with everyone in moving discussions forward and am likewise on the lookout for DMs/emails. A big thank you to the Africa Rail team for having myself and In On Africa (IOA) on board for the expo; it was great to be a part of the conference and share the stage with industry leaders and government delegates alike. Will see you all in August! PS. It might look small in the picture, but that wheel is massive, which puts things into perspective when it comes to the size and potential impact of rail 🚆 #AfricaRail #TransportInfrastructure #SustainableDevelopment #GreenMobility #ConnectingAfricasPotential Adeyemi Ishekwene Pr.Eng, M.Eng, GCC Sacha Parneix

IN PICS: The Transnet Engineering #PowerHour at the Africa Rail conference. Our speakers presented on our flagship TAL locomotive and the evolution of rail wagons. #transnetengineering #think_te

Over the course of two intensive days, Africa Rail proved to be a pivotal gathering that showcased rail digitization, infrastructure and solutions in the transportation sector. Thank you to all the stakeholders and commuters that visited the stand. Gautrain, for people on the move! Beyond Mobility! #AfricaRail #GautrainJourneys