 |
Donnybrook-Underberg Branch LineThe Underberg branch is 62 km in length and was opened in
1916 to provide rail transportation to the developing
agricultural community in the area. Traffic hauled at
first consisted of livestock, milk and wool. During 1925
some 11,736 tons of traffic were moved and the branch lost
R2 for each rand earned after interest on capital
had been raised.
The branch was upgraded during the 1960s to cater
for
increasing forestry traffic, particularly from Bulwer. The
ruling gradient is 1 in 36, and the sharpest curve has a
100 metre radius. The axle-load is 18,5 tons.
Forestry traffic has increased quite dramatically in
recent years, from some
95,000 tons in 2002/2003 to 160,000 tons during
2005/2006. One customer at Underberg brought in over
12,000
tons of river sand from Park Rynie and aggregates from
Pietermaritzburg for a concrete block business.
Plantations in the area which were established in the
1990s have reached maturity, and some 20,000 of new
traffic was generated from this area in 2005/2006. For Details of
Volumes and Commodities Received
and Forwarded [Table 6]CLICK HERE
|
|
