Cape town: Deputy President Paul Mashatile announced that the South African government has committed significant resources and reforms to restore the country’s rail transport system to bolster economic infrastructure and stimulate growth. Mashatile’s remarks came during a session in the National Council of Provinces, where he addressed concerns regarding the decline and recovery of the national rail network.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Deputy President emphasized the implementation of rapid response interventions to tackle service delivery challenges and infrastructure disruptions. He highlighted the government’s focus on enhancing intergovernmental coordination, planning, and execution to revitalize critical economic infrastructure, including rail services.
The Deputy President revealed ongoing engagements with multiple departments, such as the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, the Department of Transport, and others, to fortify strategic infrastructure that underpins economic activity and job creation. Notably, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has allocated R21.9 billion through the budget facility for infrastructure, targeting key projects, including upgrades to Transnet’s coal and iron ore corridors to restore rail capacity.
Further efforts include strengthening the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to execute its corridor recovery program and modernize rail services. By the end of 2025, PRASA aims to commission 35 of its 40 passenger corridors, achieving an audited annual figure of 77 million passenger journeys on long-distance rail services. Plans are also underway to reintroduce several mainline passenger services in the 2026/27 financial year.
Mashatile also noted PRASA’s plans to deploy fibre optic infrastructure for a new signalling system in collaboration with the private sector to enhance safety and real-time communication across the rail network. Similarly, Transnet’s rail infrastructure manager, alongside the Department of Transport and strategic partners, is prioritizing the productive use of previously underutilized or inactive rail infrastructure and assets.
Through Operation Vulindlela, the government is expediting structural reforms aimed at modernizing the rail and logistics sector, including opening the rail network to third-party operators to boost efficiency and competition. These reforms are expected to accelerate passenger rail service rehabilitation, enhancing mobility, safety, and economic participation.
Mashatile announced that the government intends to invest R500 billion in infrastructure over the next three years, with R120 billion dedicated to transport infrastructure, encompassing rail rehabilitation, port efficiency upgrades, and road network maintenance. The implementation phase of the National Rail Policy 2022 is underway, incorporating design and operational rollout across rail corridors with private sector involvement.
Eleven major freight companies have been enlisted, and contract finalizations are in progress for these companies to begin work on the corridors. Mashatile expressed confidence that government investment, policy reforms, and private sector participation will reverse the rail system’s decline, ensuring it contributes to economic growth and job creation.