Private Railway Operations

There are many private siding owners in KZN but some operate sizable private railway systems. In the past, many sugarcane tramways operated from between Port Shepstone and the Pongola area on the North Coast. With the exception of the operation of Umflozi Sugar Estates near Matubatuba, all have passed into the history books. There were many colliery railway operations, particularly in the Hlobane and Utrecht areas but they have all closed as well. The last 1,065mm gauge open-line operation is at Umkomaas on the South Coast. This line is unique in that steam locomotives are still used - the last commercial operation with such locomotives in the country.

A number of industrial operations operate their own railway systems. This includes the large steel producer at Newcastle, an operation at Rooipunt south of Newcastle, another at Ballengeich, one at Cato Ridge, another at Mount Vernon, one at Umkomaas and paper and pulp mills along the coast.

The two most important open-line operations are at:

Umfolozi Sugar Estates (Matubatuba)
Sappi Saiccor (Umkomaas)

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