South African freight logistics group Transnet still expects to move 70 million tons of export coal to port by rail in its 2011-12 financial year, a senior official said.

Transnet transported 62 million tons in the financial year to the end of March 2011 and problems on the line have put its current target in doubt. But Divyesh Kalan, a general manager at Transnet, said the group was still working towards that.

"We are still targeting 70 million tonnes ... it's ambitious but we believe that it will be met," Kalan told the Coaltrans conference in Johannesburg.

He also said the group was on track to raise capacity on the export line to 81 million tonnes by the 2014-15 financial year.

"We are very much on track with the actual build programme and the 81 million tonne ramp up," he said.

Coal producers in South Africa, including Anglo American , BHP Billiton , Exxaro , Optimum Coal and Xstrata , have been eager to export more coal to meet fast-rising demand from India and China, but have been limited by infrastructure bottlenecks.

South Africa's coal exports via the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) have been way below the expanded capacity at the terminal of 91 million tons.

RBCT Chief Executive Raymond Chirwa raised doubts on Tuesday about Transnet's targets and said the expansion to 81 million tonnes was only likely in 2016.

Transnet has said it may free up some capacity on the rail line to RBCT by moving some non-coal cargo to a line through Swaziland. Reports suggested the Swazi line could possibly open up to 15 million tonnes on the coal line.

The company is studying options for expanding the export line beyond 81 million tonnes, although the company has stressed that any further expansion would only happen if the private sector pitches in to foot the bill.

Kalan said the company was working on some proposals to unlock some capacity for junior players in the short term, but declined to give details. (Reuters)