South Africa’s plan to introduce high-speed rails and bullet trains on major routes has taken a step in the right direction after the comment period for the draft National Rail Master Plan (NRMP) ended.
The nearly 180-page document, which assessed the current state of the country’s rail networks, set out the framework for the government’s proposal to revitalise rail over the coming decades.
This, according to international law firm Pinsent Masons, makes it arguably the most significant rail policy document released since the White Paper on National Rail Policy in 2022.
“What makes the draft National Rail Master Plan particularly important is that it moves beyond diagnosing the sector’s challenges and begins to address implementation,” the firm said.
It added that the rail sector has no shortage of policy documents identifying what is wrong, but no plans to address them, a gap which the NRMP seeks to fill.
One of the most notable provisions in the master plan is the eventual introduction of high-speed rail lines to accommodate bullet trains, as confirmed by Transport Minister Barbara Creecy.
Following the announcement of the National Rail Master Plan, the minister confirmed in the National Assembly that it would lay out South Africa’s rail development over the next 20 years.
“What is included in that Rail Master Plan is high-speed rail between towns and rapid rail within towns because we see rail as being the backbone of the public transport system for people and for goods,” she said.
According to Pinsent Masons, the success of this plan will ultimately depend on the government’s execution, private investment, and institutional capacity.
“However, as a statement of intent, the NRMP provides the clearest indication yet of the direction in which South Africa’s rail sector is moving,” the firm said.
With public participation ending, the Department of Transport must now consider all submissions and amend the draft policy, if required, before it is presented for Cabinet or parliamentary approval.
Bullet train plans on track in South Africa
Earlier this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that South Africa had launched a new Request for Information for private investment on its high-speed rail project.
Speaking at the inaugural National Transport Conference in Johannesburg, the president noted that the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) had made progress in restoring the country’s rail infrastructure.
Ramaphosa added that the government is targeting 116 million passenger journeys for the current financial year, aiming for 600 million trips by 2029.
Improving the existing passenger rail network is only part of the plan, with the government driving ahead with its high-speed rail corridor plan to connect major cities.
“We have launched a new Request for Information to attract private investment in rapid regional rail, rolling stock, and depot modernisation,” confirmed Ramaphosa.
This comes after Creecy announced that the government had issued a first Request for Information in October 2025.
The minister claimed that the new generation of trains would be safer, faster, and more frequent, connecting larger metros Johannesburg, Pretoria, Polokwane, Musina, Mbombela, and Durban.
According to Creecy, plans are in place to expand the existing network to new lines to accommodate trains capable of reaching speeds up to 200km/h.
It is also considering a new 300km-per-hour railway between Joburg and Durban, according to the Transport Minister.
“These lines will shorten travel times, reduce travel costs, take pressure off our roads, and stimulate new development in towns along each route,” she said.
Ramaphosa initially announced his vision to establish a local bullet train network during his 2019 State of the Nation Address.
“We should imagine a country where bullet trains pass through Johannesburg as they travel from here to Musina, and they stop in Buffalo City on their way from eThekwini back here in Cape Town,” he said at the time.
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