South Africa has launched a new Request for Information for private investment on its high-speed rail project.
This is according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who spoke at the inaugural National Transport Conference in Johannesburg earlier this month.
The president noted that the state-owned Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has made progress in restoring the country’s rail infrastructure.
“The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa has revised 37 of 40 priority passenger rail corridors and introduced more than 300 locally-manufactured train sets.”
He added that an effective passenger rail system connects communities and provides dignity to working-class South Africa.
The government is now targeting 116 million passenger journeys for the current financial year as it moves towards its ultimate goal of 600 million trips by 2029.
However, improving the existing passenger rail network is only part of the plan, as the government is moving ahead with its vision to establish high-speed rail corridors between major cities.
“We have launched a new Request for Information to attract private investment in rapid regional rail, rolling stock, and depot modernisation,” said Ramaphosa.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy previously announced in October 2025 that the government issued its first Request for Information.
She claimed that the new generation of trains would be safer, faster, and more frequent, connecting larger metros like Johannesburg, Pretoria, Polokwane, Musina, Mbombela, and Durban.
The department wants to expand its existing network with new regional lines for trains that can travel at speeds up to 200km/h.
Additionally, it is testing the waters for a new 300km-per-hour railway between Joburg and Durban, according to Creecy.
“These lines will shorten travel times, reduce travel costs, take pressure off our roads, and stimulate new development in towns along each route.”
Ramaphosa first spoke about his vision to establish a bullet train network in South Africa 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.
30 companies want to build South Africa’s new bullet trains
The president doubled down on his promise during his 2026 SONA speech, revealing that 30 companies have expressed interest in developing the country’s high-speed rail corridors.
He remarked that the trains will mark the start of a new era for long-distance travel in South Africa.
“I’ve been saying that we would like this to cover, initially, routes such as Johannesburg to Musina, and eThekwini to Johannesburg,” he said.
“It should no longer take five or six hours to travel from eThekwini to Johannesburg, four and a half hours from Johannesburg to Musina, when it can be done in a much shorter space of time.
Ramaphosa spoke about how travelers in other parts of the world benefit from shorter travel times thanks to high-speed rail infrastructure.
He added that South Africa is making solid progress on its bullet train ambitions, and that the government is preparing to issue a Request for Proposals to build high-speed rail corridors across the nation.
However, the project is behind schedule, as former director-general of transport Alec Moemi previously stated that South Africa would have an operational bullet train by 2025.
The goal posts have since been moved, as the new plan is establish a high-speed railway from Pretoria to Musina, which is only expected to launch in 2030.
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