There have been many promises of rail reform over the past two decades. But it appears that there is now genuine hope that the national rail master plan (NRMP) will provide solutions. It is also the clearest indicator yet that the devolution of commuter rail services to some municipalities will happen.
Transport minister Barbara Creecy launched the NRMP in April. She also dedicated parts of her budget speech in parliament to it. The plan emphasises the recovery of freight rail over the next five years. The 25-year R1.9-trillion rail master plan aims to “reposition rail as a national asset serving broader economic and social goals”.
The urban rail networks operated by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) in Gauteng, eThekwini and Cape Town are the plan’s second priority after freight. Ironically, these passenger operations are closer to recovery than the goods network, though there is still a long way to go to make rail the backbone of the public transport system.
Prasa CEO Hishaam Emeran tells the FM that it is an exciting time for the rail sector. “We’re obviously quite pleased with the fact that there is now a blueprint for the future.”
He says there has been significant progress in Prasa over the past four years, after years of mismanagement and corruption and a period where no trains ran at all.
“We’ve just reached the 100-million passenger trips per year mark. It’s still short of where we would like to be — 600-million trips by 2031 — but it’s the journey that we’re on. We’ve been seeing 30% growth year on year.”
Prasa recently briefed the select committee on public infrastructure in parliament. Emeran told MPs that Prasa has more than 90% “on-time reliability” and there has been a “drastic improvement” in safety. He added that there are security guards and CCTV on trains. “You will see people working on their phones and on their laptops. Ten years ago, you would not have seen that. Now they want wi-fi on the trains.”
The growth is mainly down to the fact that 35 out of the 40 commuter corridors are operating again, though none of them are close to capacity.
A major obstacle to efficient, high-frequency train-running is the network’s signalling equipment. It is outdated, vulnerable to vandalism and inadequately maintained. According to the NRMP, “these deficiencies necessitate about 250,000 manual train authorisations monthly, causing substantial inefficiencies and safety concerns throughout the system”.
The plan notes that performance on the three major urban rail systems is “hampered by high-entropy networks that fail to achieve the headways supported by existing signalling systems. (Entropy is a collective noun for bottlenecks and constraints that limit the capacity of a rail corridor.)
“Additionally, poorly maintained tracks, low service frequencies, outdated or absent operations and maintenance management systems and inadequate integration with other public transport modes and operators contribute to the inefficiencies.
“As a result, commuter rail has been overtaken by minibus taxis, which, despite their lower capacity and fragmented networks, now dominate. A key barrier to rail use is low service frequency, prompting commuters to opt for higher-cost on-demand options.”
There is no shortage of modern rolling stock. Ninety-six new train sets, constructed in South Africa, were introduced in the 2023/2024 financial year. But, says the NRMP, “maintenance remains a concern, with depot upgrades and facilities still lagging. Platform heights are too low for level boarding, requiring raising to ensure universal access and safety, especially for the mobility-impaired.”
A lot of municipalities can’t deliver water and electricity. I would be loath to give them rail as well
— Barbara Creecy
Emeran accepts that Prasa must be financially sustainable. But he tells the FM that while “freight rail runs very much on commercial principles, commuter rail requires subsidy support. You require support from the government … We are an implementing agent. Our focus is to improve and make sure we run effective rail services.”
He says the gap between allocated capital funding and contractual commitments for the rolling stock programme continues to widen, despite ongoing engagements with the National Treasury and the transport department. However, an additional R19bn for signalling and telecommunications has been incorporated to support the acceleration of infrastructure recovery and modernisation.
Emeran told MPs that Prasa should rely less on government subsidies. “Our secondary mandate is to raise money from our assets. We are big property owners. There are successful developments that are generating revenue.” An example of this is the former Prasa offices in the Tippet building in Joburg. There are plans to convert this into a mixed-use development, including 189 apartments. There is also a R1.2bn development with Eris Property Group. The completed project includes student accommodation of about 3,200 beds for those eligible for National Student Financial Aid Scheme loans, and a 7,000m² retail space at Cape Town station.
On modernisation, the NRMP proposes interventions for Cape Town that include the separation of routes so that each line can operate independently without being constrained by intersecting movements or shared track sections. This would include the reconfiguration of junctions and construction of over- and underpasses.
The plan also proposes significant structural change to boost performance. These include the potential concessioning of services and the devolution of urban rail to municipalities, guided by a national devolution strategy aligned with the integrated urban development framework. However, it is not clear what Prasa’s role will be if the three major metros — Cape Town, Durban, Joburg — take over its services.
Responding to questions from the FM during her pre-budget speech briefing in May, Creecy said the department looked at international examples of where the devolution of rail has been implemented.
“We would need to talk about the issue of population size.” You may find, she said, that “a particular province is actually cross-subsidised by a rail line in another province. If you’re going to devolve, you’re going to have all kinds of strange complexities you’d be dealing with.
“Of course, another issue is capacity. Right now, a lot of municipalities can’t deliver water and electricity. I would be loath to give them rail as well,” she said.
Emeran told MPs that without an efficient rail system, households spend more than 40% of their income on transport. “When you have cities that have efficient rail systems, households spend 8%-12%.”
The announcement of the NRMP has been welcomed by the City of Cape Town. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has called for clear deadlines on devolution, given the urgent need for affordable and integrated public transport. “Cape Town stands ready to be the first metro to run its local trains, and we are encouraged that the master plan acknowledges our city’s rail business plan and proactive planning.
“In time, we want to see Capetonians using just one ticket to hop from trains to MyCiti buses and other public transport. Only capable metros can deliver a safe, reliable and affordable one-ticket system in line with our constitutional mandate for integrated public transport.”
Peter Haylett, chair of the Cape Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s infrastructure business environment portfolio committee, cautions that the plans should be judged on execution. “Intent and action do not often sit in the same space. With rail devolution and the euphoria surrounding it, there is a strong likelihood that this pattern will emerge. I hope I’m wrong.”
The plan has also been cautiously welcomed by commuter group #UniteBehind, which has been calling for the devolution of rail for years. “We stress that trains and infrastructure alone are not enough. The rail system can only reach its potential if commuters are placed at the centre of governance, with real power to shape how the rail system is run and held accountable.”
Whether or not the plan delivers remains to be seen, but there has not been this much positivity around the rail sector in years. Questions remain on timelines and what would happen to Prasa’s 13,000 workers should rail be devolved.
Long-distance passenger rail, also the responsibility of Prasa, remains moribund. Prasa says it is working towards reintroducing routes that previously connected Joburg with several major cities, but several attempts over the past few years have all collapsed embarrassingly.
Issues include a lack of co-operation from Transnet, which owns most of the long-distance network; a shortage of locomotives; a skills exodus; collapsed infrastructure and signalling; and passenger coaches that are all at least 45 years old and have been rusting in sidings for several years.
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