Gauteng still doesn’t have a plan for its R45-billion train

The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) has failed to assign a new firm to manage the Gautrain service, even though it had two decades to prepare for the current agreement’s expiry date.

Since its launch in June 2010, the R45-billion Gautrain rail system has been operated by the Bombela Concession Company (BCC), which has a concession agreement that is set to expire at the end of March 2026.

The Gautrain’s operation is structured in a public-private arrangement, similar to the way the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) operates most of the country’s major toll roads.

However, the provincial government has lacked the necessary technical expertise and administrative capacity to run and maintain the Gautrain in the 16 years it has been operational.

The GPG did not use the concession period to build up the capacity to manage the service itself, which would have put the province in a better position to make the project profitable and affordable to commuters.

It has also failed to timeously appoint a new service provider to take over from Bombela despite having years to prepare for this known outcome.

Back in November 2023, the Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) opened bidding for a tender to operate, maintain, refurbish, upgrade, and modernise the service for another 15 years.

Even though the tender has been open for over two years, the GMA reported that there was not enough time to find a suitable candidate.

On 4 March 2026, the GMA announced that the concession with Bombela will be extended by six months to allow more time for it to finalise the contract with a new preferred bidder.

Questions over ticket prices

Our sister publication MyBroadband contacted the GMA this month to inquire why it was taking longer than expected to appoint a new service provider, however, it did not respond by the time of publication.

The DA has called the delayed appointment of a new concession concerning, adding that proper planning should have ensured that a new arrangement was finalised in advance to prevent service disruptions.

Despite failing to appoint a new contractor by the time of the current concession’s expiry, the GPG has repeatedly spoken about how the service will improve once operations are handed over.

Gauteng transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela promised that Gautrain fares will be “more accessible” after the transition, addressing long-standing concerns over the rail service’s affordability.

Critics of the Gautrain, such as the Automobile Association (AA), maintain that the service is too expensive for those who need it the most, as the only ones who can afford to regularly use it are affluent enough to have their own cars.

While the AA acknowledged that the Gautrain has helped to reduce congestion across the province, it argues that the project is a white elephant and that the money spent keeping it afloat would be better spent on mass rail services like Metrorail.

The Competition Commission has expressed a similar sentiment, recommending that the transport department merge the Gautrain and Metrorail to expand coverage to lower-income areas.

The Gautrain has never been profitable, and is reliant on a government subsidy called the Patronage Guarantee.

This tax-funded subsidy covers revenue shortfalls and is estimated to have cost the province roughly R20 billion since its inception.

The GPG has defended the service and plans to invest R120 billion in a massive expansion project that will triple the coverage of the existing rail network with another 150km of track.

It argues that the expansion is key to the Gautrain’s long-term success, as the improved coverage make the service more accessible, thereby improving passenger numbers.