Identification of delay factors that affect high dwell times of freight trains

The operation of the freight railway industry is a complex system which is accompanied by various challenges. The main objective of the freight rail industry is to provide customers with quality and reliable service, but different forms of delay prevent the achievement of this objective. A case study was conducted in Transnet, the largest freight rail network in South Africa, to identify factors that affect the on-time performance of trains during the execution process. This paper presents a discussion of the nature of train delays and the comparative findings. The results indicate that most delays are a result of crew shortage, locomotive imbalance and defective perway. If the delay factors were resolved, dwell times in the freight rail industry could potentially be minimized, resulting in significant improvement of service reliability.