High-speed trains for South Africa are coming: Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has repeated his promises of bringing high-speed rail between cities to South Africa, promising that a national masterplan for rail will be completed by the end of 2025.

Writing in his weekly letter to the public, the president noted that upgrading the country’s rail networks and infrastructure are core to economic growth and job creation in the country and are the “backbone” of transport.

Ramaphosa pointed to the immense damage done to the country’s railway networks over the years—by neglect and a severe lack of maintenance, criminality and vandalism during the Covid-19 pandemic—but the government is turning things around.

“Much progress has been made in restoring urban passenger rail to full service. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has to date restored 31 out of 40 priority rail corridors back to operation. By March this year, 40 million passengers were using public trains, nearly three times more than the year before,” he said.

Transnet is also currently working to meet the immediate crisis hitting freight rail, with a “Network Statement” expected to be finalised by the end of the year. This will facilitate third-party access for operators to the rail network.

“This will help to increase the volume of goods carried by rail. By 2029, our rail lines need to be transporting at least 250 million tonnes of freight a year,” the president said.

However, beyond the immediate crisis, Ramaphosa said the dream of rapid raid and high-speed networks is still very much alive.

He said that work is underway to develop a “National Rail Masterplan” that will lay out the future for rail in South Africa.

“Among other things, the Masterplan will cover passenger rail in our cities, including rapid rail. It will also cover high speed rail over long distances between centres. The substantial work required to develop the Masterplan is expected to be completed by the end of next year,” he said.

Ramaphosa’s fixation on high-speed trains dates back to his 2019 SONA, where he said he dreams of South African cities filled with skyscrapers and connected by bullet trains.

The ambitions have been mentioned or touched on almost every year he has headed government, including a brief mention in his 2024 State of the Nation Address (SONA) in February, where he gave a small update.

“In November (2023), Cabinet approved a framework for high-speed rail, focusing initially on the Johannesburg to Durban corridor,” the president said at the time.

Cabinet approved the framework on 1 November 2023, but little detail was given aside from naming the Durban-Joburg corridor as the priority route, which would move on to feasibility studies.

There is also no formal standard for a service to qualify as HSR.

However, the generally accepted rule has been that a purpose-built railway system should support speeds over 250km/h, while those with upgraded lines should be capable of carrying trains at speeds over 200km/h to be considered HSR.

South Africa’s fastest passenger train service, the Gautrain, has a top speed of 160km/h.

According to the president, the state will not be able to carry the scale of the investment needed alone, and is working with the private sector to make the various plans a reality.

“We are working to mobilise private sector investment in rail and port operations while ensuring that the infrastructure remains state-owned,” he said.

“While we have achieved important progress in restoring our freight and passenger rail systems, we have much further to go. We will need far more investment, more effective use of technology and closer collaboration between all stakeholders.

“We are now on the right track towards a public transport system that is safer, more efficient and more affordable – and that supports the growth of an inclusive economy, reduces poverty and creates employment,” he said.

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