South Africa’s Transnet Lifts Force Majeure on Coal Export Line
- State company resumes normal operations after derailment
- Violence contributed to delays in fixing coal route to coast
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South Africa’s state port and rail company, Transnet SOC Ltd., lifted a force majeure on its main coal export line more than two weeks after a train derailed on the route and violence delayed clean-up efforts.
The incident on Nov. 8 “caused massive damage to infrastructure and rolling stock, necessitating closure of both lines,” Transnet said in a statement. It imposed a clause that allows companies to avoid liability when they’re unable to honor contracts because of events beyond their control on Nov. 10, which remained in place until Friday.