• South Africa seeks private investment to modernize passenger rail
• PRASA reactivates 35 corridors, carried 77M passengers in 2024
• Plans include high-speed trains, ticketing system, fiber network use
  

South Africa’s Ministry of Transport has invited private companies to express interest in investing in passenger rail services, as part of efforts to stabilize the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), the state-owned company that manages the country’s passenger network.

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said the goal is to bring in private partners to speed up the modernization of the national rail system. Following extensive rehabilitation work, PRASA has reactivated 35 of its 40 passenger corridors and carried an audited total of 77 million passengers last year.

The plan includes several components, such as the rollout of an integrated electronic ticketing system that would allow passengers to use a single ticket across all transport modes, including trains, buses, and taxis, nationwide. It also covers the upgrade of PRASA’s maintenance depots in Braamfontein and Wolmerton, and the commercial use of its vast fiber-optic network, installed for a new signaling system and viewed as a potential revenue source.

One of the most ambitious elements is the introduction of a new generation of regional and intercity trains, connecting major cities such as Pretoria, Johannesburg, Polokwane, Musina, Mbombela, and Durban. Options include upgrading existing tracks for 120 km/h service, building new lines for 200 km/h, or developing a 300 km/h high-speed link between Johannesburg and Durban.

Creecy said the plan aims to cut travel times and costs, reduce road congestion, and promote urban development along main rail corridors. The initiative complements ongoing projects in freight transport. On March 23, the ministry also issued a preliminary request for information to potential investors interested in the rail and port sectors operated by state-owned Transnet.

Henoc Dossa