Deputy President Paul Mashatile has reaffirmed the South African government's commitment to revitalizing the country's struggling rail transport system, highlighting a series of reforms and major infrastructure investments aimed at restoring rail capacity and stimulating economic growth.
Speaking at the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in Cape Town on Thursday while answering questions for oral answers, Mashatile outlined government interventions designed to address the long-standing decline of South Africa's rail network. He said the revival of rail infrastructure is an important part of broader efforts to strengthen economic infrastructure and improve logistics performance across the country.
Mashatile acknowledged that the decline of rail services has disrupted freight and passenger mobility, negatively impacting economic activity in sectors such as mining, agriculture and manufacturing. In response, the government has prioritized immediate interventions to repair infrastructure, improve coordination between departments, and accelerate project implementation.
Strengthening coordination to restore infrastructure
The Vice President said the government has implemented rapid response measures in key infrastructure hotspots, where service delivery disruptions are most severe.
“We have prioritized stronger intergovernmental coordination, better planning and more effective execution across all sectors of government to restore the performance of critical economic infrastructure, including rail,” Mashatile said.
He said many government departments are working together to address the challenges of rail infrastructure. These include the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, Department of Transport, Department of Water and Sanitation and Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
According to Mashatile, this coordinated approach aims to accelerate the upgrade and enhance the security of strategic infrastructure that supports economic activity and job creation.
Billions of rupees allocated for rail and infrastructure projects
The government has also allocated substantial funds to revive rail operations and upgrade transport infrastructure.
Mashatile revealed that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has directed R21.9 billion through the Budget Facility for Infrastructure for major projects aimed at restoring rail capacity. The funding will support improvements to Transnet's key coal and iron ore corridors, which are essential to South Africa's mining exports.
In addition to these specific allocations, the government plans to invest R500 billion in infrastructure over the next three years. Of this amount, approximately R120 billion is earmarked for transport infrastructure projects including rail rehabilitation, port efficiency upgrades and road network maintenance.
These investments are expected to improve the efficiency of logistics systems while strengthening South Africa's competitiveness in global markets.
PRASA's Corridor Recovery Program
An important part of the rail recovery strategy focuses on passenger rail services operated by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).
Mashatile said the government is strengthening PRASA to accelerate the implementation of its corridor recovery program and modernize passenger rail services.
By the end of 2025, PRASA had commissioned 35 of its 40 passenger rail corridors, a major milestone in restoring commuter services. The agency also recorded an audit of a total of 77 million passenger journeys on long-distance rail services.
PRASA plans to further expand its services by reintroducing a number of long-distance mainline routes during the 2026/27 financial year, subject to available funding and locomotive readiness.
Proposed routes include:
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from johannesburg to durban
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Johannesburg to Queenstown
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East London to Johannesburg
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Cape Town to Johannesburg
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from johannesburg to musina
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Cape Town to Queenstown
These routes are expected to improve connectivity between major economic centers and regional cities.
Modern signaling and digital infrastructure
Mashatile also highlighted efforts to modernize rail infrastructure through technology upgrades.
PRASA is currently building thousands of kilometers of fiber optic infrastructure to support a new signaling system. The initiative is being implemented in partnership with private sector companies and aims to improve operational safety and enable real-time communication across the entire rail network.
The improved signaling system is expected to reduce delays, increase monitoring capabilities and improve the reliability of passenger services.
Revitalizing underutilized rail infrastructure
Meanwhile, Transnet's rail infrastructure managers, in collaboration with the Department for Transport and other strategic partners, are working to revitalize defunct or damaged rail assets.
Many rail lines across the country have been affected by vandalism, theft and chronic under-utilization. The government is now giving priority to productive utilization of these assets to support industries that are heavily dependent on rail connectivity.
“This work includes the revival of vital rail services that support agriculture, mining, manufacturing centers and rural business towns that are heavily dependent on rail connectivity,” Mashatile said.
Opening up the rail network to private operators
A major component of the reform program includes opening up the rail network to private sector operators.
Through Operation Vulindlela, the government is implementing structural reforms to modernize the rail and logistics sector. One of the major policy changes includes allowing third-party operators to use the rail network to improve competition, efficiency and service delivery.
Mashtile confirmed that the implementation of the National Rail Policy 2022 is already underway and has entered its operational rollout phase.
As part of this process, the government is finalizing agreements with freight logistics companies that will operate on key rail corridors.
“At present about 11 major freight companies have been shortlisted, and work is ongoing to finalize contracts so that they can commence work on these corridors,” Mashatile said.
The participation of private companies is expected to bring additional investment, operational expertise and improved efficiency in the sector.
Restoring rail as a driver of economic growth
Mashatile expressed confidence that a combination of government investment, policy reform and private sector involvement will gradually reverse the decline of the rail system.
He said that restoring rail infrastructure is necessary not only to improve transport services but also to support economic growth and expand employment opportunities.
He said, “I am confident that with the plans the government has put in place, additional resources and private sector participation, we will begin to correct this situation and ensure that rail infrastructure once again contributes to economic growth and job creation.”
The government's rail recovery strategy is part of broader efforts to modernize South Africa's logistics system and strengthen the country's economic foundation.