Week 4 Freight 26 Jun 2026

The 7-million-tonne prize on the road

Millions of tonnes of manganese move by road that rail could carry cheaper. So why don't they?

The decision on the table

“You move manganese — or finance the corridor that does: is the road-to-rail shift bankable, and on which alignment?”

Millions of tonnes of manganese sit on road that rail could carry cheaper. The value is stranded by infrastructure friction — slots, rolling stock, tariff design — not absent demand.

Technical

Two rail options on very different distances and conditions.

Economic

Road wins today on reliability and turnaround, not on cost-per-tonne-km.

Political

Third-party access rules, slot allocation and tariff design decide the shift.

Tonnes that could move from road to rail — if the friction cleared.
What we’re watching
  • Corridor slot allocation
  • Third-party access rules
  • Manganese export price

Calls back Week 2 — one of the bulk-mining corridors inside that freight task, seen up close.

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