The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) said it transported 40 million passengers in the year ended March 2024, an increase of 167% over the year prior.
Simultaneously it has resuscitated 31 of its 40 passenger rail corridors and refurbished as many as 263 stations, with more set to come online in the current financial year.
This comes after widespread theft and vandalism during the Covid-19 era brought the Prasa network to its knees.
Earlier this year, ex-transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga revealed that theft and vandalism of Prasa assets and infrastructure between 2019 and 2023 cost the agency in excess of R7.64 billion.
Of this amount, just over R2 billion was attributed to “assets written off due to theft and vandalism” and the remaining R5.6 billion to “assets impaired due to theft and vandalism.”
The agency has since invested over R12 billion in revitalising its infrastructure and services, in the process creating about 4,500 employment opportunities.
“Over the past 24 months, Prasa has achieved some major milestones and we can see a significant improvement; you can see a turnaround within the rail space in South Africa,” said Prasa CEO Hishaam Emeran, as quoted by Engineering News.
“Our transport networks must receive this level of priority because the economic and social costs of a failing rail system, and that of the congested roads we see across the continent, far outweigh the costs of improving and modernising our railway network.”
More good news
It is not only Prasa that’s been on a recovery mission over the last few years as South Africa’s freight rail operator, Transnet, has also committed to refurbishing its ailing infrastructure.
Following criticism from automakers such as Isuzu and VW, Transnet said it entered into talks with private funders and government to “expand the Southern Corridor rail network” by adding three 50-wagon trains for use by carmakers on a daily basis between the Eastern Cape and Gauteng, the main automotive manufacturing hubs in the country.
This would reduce the reliance on costly road transport which moves the vast majority of goods across South Africa, benefitting businesses and private road users alike.
Transnet is also engaging with VW “to resurrect the existing rail haulage service” between the German manufacturer’s plant in Kariega, Eastern Cape, and Gauteng.
Additionally, the state-owned company said it wants private train operators and investors to help expand shipments of manganese to Port Elizabeth and the nearby port of Ngqura in the future.
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