African Rail and Traction Services

What African Rail and Traction Services does

African Rail and Traction Services (AR&TS) (Pty) Ltd is a private South African company, wholly owned by family-controlled Surtees Group Holdings, that has serviced the Southern African railway industry since 1950. Headquartered in Pretoria West with a workshop complex that includes siding and heavy-duty lifting facilities, the company specializes in the maintenance, repair, refurbishment, and upgrading of diesel-electric and diesel-hydraulic/kinetic locomotives, trackmobiles, and rolling stock, with particular technical depth on GE and E.M.D. platforms. It also operates a TETA-accredited training facility for locomotive drivers and shunters, holds special tooling equipment for GE cylinder head and liner assemblies, and runs portable locomotive load box testing up to 3000hp.

The business operates a diversified revenue model spanning one-time sales of locomotives, trackmobiles and wagons/hoppers; recurring rentals of its own fleet (E.M.D, GE, Hunslet and Funkey shunting locomotives from 15ton-100kw to 120ton-2300kw); project-based repair, reconditioning and accident-damage work performed both at the workshop and on customer sites; sale of spare parts (most available off-the-shelf) and jacking systems; a UTEX service exchange for major GE and E.M.D. components; multi-year rail system operation and maintenance contracts that include track and signalling work; TETA-accredited driver and shunter training; and distribution of the ZTR product line for locomotive management and efficiency. Pricing is quote-based and project-specific, with multi-year contract cadences for fleet and operations work.

Its go-to-market is direct enterprise sales to three primary customer segments: mining companies running their own railway operations and sidings, state-owned railway operators (e.g., the Angolan state railway CFL), and private railway operators. A documented refurbishment contract for four GE U20C locomotives for Caminhos de Ferro de Luanda illustrates its cross-border project capability. With 51-100 employees, no external institutional investors, no disclosed revenue, and bundled sister-company synergies through Surtees Railway Supplies and Surtees Engineering, AR&TS functions as a vertically integrated rolling-stock lifecycle services provider for the Southern African and SADC markets.

Name

African Rail and Traction Services

Legal name

African Rail and Traction Services (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://africanrail.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

African Rail and Traction Services is a Pretoria-based, family-owned subsidiary of Surtees Group Holdings that has served the Southern African railway industry since 1950, providing sales, rentals, repair, refurbishment, spare parts, driver training, and rail system operations for GE and E.M.D. diesel-electric locomotives and rolling stock to mining companies and state and private railway operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Railway Locomotive and Rolling Stock Services

NAICS

Rail Transportation (48211), Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (3336)

SIC

Railroad Equipment (3743), Motors & Generators (3621), Engines & Turbines (3510)

akta.pro primary industry

Traction Motor, Generator & Electrical Rotating Equipment Repair (TLAKAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bogie/Truck, Wheelset & Bearing Shop Services (Reprofiling, Overhaul) (TLAKAIAD), Cylinder Heads, Blocks & Rotating Assemblies Machining/Rebuild Services (TLAKALAG)

Keywords

• Locomotive repair services
• Rolling stock maintenance
• Railway equipment sales
• Locomotive driver training
• Rail system operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Pretoria

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Locomotive and Rolling Stock Sales: Sales of diesel electric locomotives, diesel hydraulic/kinetic locomotives, trackmobiles (rail/road shunters), and wagons/hoppers.
2. Equipment Rentals: Rental of locomotives, trackmobiles and other rolling stock. Company owns and hires out its own fleet of tractive power including E.M.D, GE, Hunslet and Funkey shunting locomotives ranging from 15ton-100kw up to 120ton-2300kw.
3. Repair and Reconditioning Services: Repair and reconditioning of locomotives, trackmobiles and rolling stock at Pretoria West workshop and on-site. Services include accident damaged locomotives, engines, traction equipment, wheel sets, brakes, compressors, couplers, and more.
4. Spare Parts Sales: Full range of spare parts for locomotives and rail wagons, most available off the shelf. Components include air/vacuum brake valves, oil pumps, generators, traction motors, wheel sets, turbochargers, cylinders, power packs, and bogies.
5. Unit Exchange (UTEX): Service exchange components for GE and E.M.D locomotives including traction motors, bogies, power packs, cylinders, turbochargers, compressors, generators, injectors, fuel pumps, wheel sets, and drawgears.
6. Driver and Shunter Training: Training services for locomotive drivers and shunters including novice training, annual recertification, and driver conversion training. Accredited by TETA. Training covers South African business and SADC region customers.
7. Rail System Operations Management: Operation and control of entire rail systems including maintenance of customer locomotives and rolling stock, transport of products, and maintenance of railway tracks and signaling systems.
8. Jacking Systems Sales and Rentals: Sales and rentals of electrical, mechanical and air jacking systems for lifting locomotives and rail wagons, on site and in workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

African Rail and Traction Services (AR&TS) sells, rents, repairs, and reconditions locomotives (Diesel Electric and Diesel Hydraulic/Kinetic), trackmobiles, and other rolling stock from its Pretoria West workshop and on-site across Southern Africa. The company also distributes the ZTR locomotive product line, supplies spare parts and components, offers unit exchange (UTEX) service for GE and E.M.D locomotives, provides TETA-accredited driver and shunter training, and operates and controls entire customer rail systems including track and signalling maintenance.

Product overview

African Rail and Traction Services (AR&TS) is a rail industry services company offering a comprehensive portfolio of rolling stock solutions. The core offerings include sales and rentals of locomotives (Diesel Electric and Diesel Hydraulic/Kinetic), trackmobiles, and wagons; repair, reconditioning and upgrading services at their Pretoria West workshop and on-site; and full operation and control of entire rail systems. The ZTR product line (ZTR AxleGen, Battery Saver System, BOA, ELC PEO, InteLevel, KickStart, Nexsys III-i, SmartStart) provides axle and locomotive control solutions. Additional services include driver and shunter training (TETA-accredited), unit exchange components for GE and EMD locomotives, and a full range of spare parts and components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UTEX (Unit Exchange): Unit exchange components for most major items on G.E and E.M.D locomotives, including traction motors, bogies, power packs, cylinders, turbochargers, and more.

Products and services

• Sales and Rentals of Locomotives and Rolling Stock Sales and rentals of diesel electric locomotives, diesel hydraulic/kinetic locomotives, trackmobiles (rail/road shunters), and wagons/hoppers for mining companies, state railways, and private railway operators. AR&TS owns and hires out its own fleet of E.M.D, GE, Hunslet, and Funkey shunting locomotives ranging from 15ton-100kw up to 120ton-2300kw.
• Repairs and Reconditioning Repair and reconditioning of locomotives, trackmobiles, and other rolling stock at the Pretoria West workshop and on-site across Southern Africa. Services cover accident-damaged locomotives, engines, traction equipment, wheel sets, air and vacuum brakes, compressors, expressors, exhausters, couplers, draft gears, and related components.
• Unit Exchange (UTEX) Service exchange components for most major items on GE and E.M.D locomotives, including traction motors, bogies, power packs, cylinders, turbochargers, compressors, main generators, alternators, expressors, injectors, fuel pumps, wheel sets, and drawgears.
• Components and Spare Parts Full range of spare parts for locomotives and rail wagons, most available off the shelf. Components include air and vacuum brake valves, drawgears, exciters, wheel sets, oil pumps, water pumps, injectors and fuel pumps, auxiliary generators, main generators, compressor exhausters, turbochargers, cylinders, power packs, bogies, and traction motors.
• Driver and Shunter Training TETA-accredited training and assessment services for locomotive drivers and shunters, covering novice training, annual recertification, and driver conversion training when locomotive specifications change. Aligned to TETA unit standards including US14638, US230402, US230417, US230407, US264338, and US256195.
• Operation and Control of Entire Rail Systems Operation and control of entire rail systems for clients, covering maintenance of customer locomotives and rolling stock, control and transport of customer products, and maintenance of railway tracks and switching/signalling systems.
• Specialised Services Powerpack refurbishment using GE-certified special tooling equipment for removal and reassembly of cylinder head and liner assemblies to and from water jackets, performed to GE specifications, plus portable locomotive load box testing and certification for refurbished locomotives up to 3000hp delivered at the Pretoria West workshop or on customer operational sites.
• ZTR Product Line Distribution Distribution of ZTR locomotive control and efficiency systems including AxleGen, Battery Saver System, BOA II, BOA WS, ELC PEO, InteLevel, KickStart, Nexsys III and Nexsys III-i, Nexsys III-i MD, and SmartStart IIe for axle and locomotive management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 additional years of service life for refurbished locomotives
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Transnet Freight Rail (TFR)minorOthers · 1 January 2016Transnet Freight Rail hauled the locomotives from Durban port through Swaziland to reach their final destination at the AR&TS workshops in Pretoria West.
• Surtees Group Holdings (Pty) LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAR&TS is a company of Surtees Group Holdings, which is a South African based company specializing in the sales and rentals of locomotives, trackmobiles and other rolling stock. Part of a group of companies including Surtees Railway Supplies and Surtees Engineering.
• Surtees Railway SuppliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company to AR&TS, based in Johannesburg. Part of the Surtees Rail Group of Companies.
• Surtees EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Surtees Rail Group of Companies along with Surtees Railway Supplies and African Rail and Traction Services.
• South African Transport Education Training Authority (TETA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTETA is the accrediting body for AR&TS training programs. AR&TS training is fully accredited by TETA for the training and assessment of locomotive drivers and shunters.
• ZTRminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAR&TS distributes ZTR locomotive products and systems including AxleGen, Battery Saver System, BOA II, BOA WS, ELC PEO, InteLevel, KickStart, Nexsys III, and SmartStart.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Vossloh AG: Global rail infrastructure and services provider with rolling stock maintenance operations. Comparable because Vossloh delivers locomotive lifecycle services, parts, and rail system management in markets adjacent to AR&TS's Southern African footprint.
• Progress Rail (Caterpillar): Caterpillar's rail division and OEM of EMD locomotives. Directly comparable because Progress Rail manufactures and services the EMD diesel-electric locomotive platform that AR&TS specializes in refurbishing and supporting across Southern Africa.
• Wabtec Corporation: Global rail equipment manufacturer and services provider (formerly GE Transportation). Comparable because Wabtec services GE and other locomotive platforms worldwide, including the same diesel-electric traction motor and powertrain components that AR&TS refurbishes.
• Transnet Freight Rail: South Africa's state-owned freight rail operator and AR&TS's largest domestic customer. Comparable because TFR operates a large diesel-electric locomotive fleet requiring similar MRO services and is a primary buyer of refurbishment, parts, and training services that AR&TS provides.

Regional players

• Grindrod Limited: South African freight logistics and rail services group. Comparable because Grindrod operates and manages rail-based logistics in Southern Africa with its own locomotive fleet and servicing capability, overlapping with AR&TS's customer base and rail operations management offering.
• Caminhos de Ferro de Luanda (CFL): Angolan state railway operator and direct customer of AR&TS. Comparable as a peer customer rather than competitor — CFL is an institutional buyer of large locomotive refurbishment programs and represents the export contract model that AR&TS targets across African state railways.
• Loram Maintenance of Way: Specialized rail maintenance services provider with operations across multiple continents. Comparable because Loram delivers rail infrastructure and rolling stock maintenance services at scale, providing a benchmark for specialized rail MRO business models outside Africa.

Direct peers

• ZTR Control Systems: Manufacturer of locomotive modernization and control products (SmartStart, Nexsys, BOA). Directly comparable because AR&TS is ZTR's distribution and integration partner in Southern Africa, and ZTR's upgrade products are sold alongside AR&TS's MRO service offering.
• Traxtion: Africa-focused independent rail operator and rolling stock lessor headquartered in South Africa. Comparable because Traxtion owns and leases locomotives across African markets — directly overlapping with AR&TS's rental fleet and cross-border rail operations business model.

Emerging players

• Plasser & Theurer: Austrian manufacturer of rail maintenance-of-way machinery. Adjacent comparable because while Plasser focuses on track maintenance equipment rather than rolling stock MRO, both companies serve rail infrastructure operators in emerging markets with specialized, capital-intensive service models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/africanrailtractionservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/african-rail-traction-services

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about African Rail and Traction Services