Cabinet Welcomes Inauguration Of R3.4 Billion Newlyn Park Bayhead Rail Terminal In Durban Port

The cabinet on Monday welcomed the inauguration of the R3.4 billion Newlyn Park Bayhead Rail Terminal project located at the Port of Durban.

The project consists of 640,000 square meters of area featuring warehousing facilities, rail sidings, and open storage spaces.

"The new terminal will facilitate the efficient movement of sea, rail and road cargo through the Port of Durban, and help address the recent challenges experienced in the logistics, infrastructure and network industries," the cabinet said, SA News reported.

The project has provided 4,013 direct construction jobs and more than 1,000 full-time employees. The number of employees is expected to increase as the facility's potential to handle more cargo goes up.

The cabinet praised the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) for its efforts in rejuvenating the nation's rail network, especially the restoration of five vital Metrorail services spanning across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape.

According to the cabinet, PRASA is responsible for bringing 31 of its 40 lines back into partial operation and is working on achieving full operational status, noting that it demonstrates the government's commitment to revitalizing passenger rail services for efficient public transportation.

Aside from this, the cabinet has welcomed the South African National Roads Agency's commitment to investing over R50 billion in road infrastructure development in the Eastern Cape, aiming at the construction of new facilities, road improvements and strengthening, and special maintenance of the national road network in the province.

Furthermore, the cabinet also appreciated millions of taxpayers who filed their tax returns, contributing to the South African Revenue Service's collection of R2.155 trillion in tax revenue for the 2023-24 financial year.

"This is R52 billion more than the previous year and demonstrates the robustness of the local economy, despite challenging local and international conditions," the cabinet said.

The increased tax revenue will help the government to fund several projects including socio-economic development programs.