Primary briefing · Gazette
high impact 55080 · 7748 · 2026-07-29
Approved 2025/26 Rail Access Tariffs for Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (GN 7748)
Effective from
01 Aug 2026
The Minister of Transport has approved the 2025/26 two-part rail access tariffs for the Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM), structured as a tariff per Train-Kilometre and a tariff per Gross-Tonne Kilometre (GTK) across ten traffic categories: OreCore (iron ore), manganese ore, coal exports, intermodal, mineral exports, grain, general traffic, motor vehicles, passenger trains, and loose locomotives. Tariff levels vary substantially — for example, OreCore iron ore is set at R680 per Train-km and 3.54 cents per GTK, while intermodal traffic is R30 per Train-km. The tariffs take effect on 1 August 2026 and remain in force until further notice. They will also form the baseline for the 2026/27 tariff determination currently in progress.
Who is affected
Mining companies using rail freight (iron ore, manganese, coal, minerals)Freight and logistics operatorsPrivate rail operators and third-party rail access seekersPassenger rail operators (PRASA and others)Agricultural commodity transporters (grain)Automotive / motor vehicle transportersTransnet and its subsidiaries What this means for practitioners
Review the approved tariff schedule against current rail access agreements and update cost projections for the period from 1 August 2026
Flag the tariff levels to mining, freight, and logistics clients as the new binding pricing baseline
Monitor the forthcoming 2026/27 tariff determination — these approved tariffs will form the calculation baseline for the next cycle
Assess whether any existing rail access contracts contain tariff adjustment or pass-through clauses triggered by the new rates