The Gautrain has announced plans to introduce a new e-hailing service in October 2026 that will integrate into its existing mobile app.
This new service, called “Gau Express,” will allow users to hail branded vehicles to travel to their destinations.
A News24 report further revealed that the Gau Express platform will offer discounted fares to Gautrain customers and integrate existing partnerships with meter cabs and the taxi industry.
Tshepo Kgobe, CEO of the Gautrain Management Agency, said the service will benefit South African customers who require a lift from the station to their destinations.
Additionally, the service won’t just be linked to stations and will allow users to request rides from other locations in the province.
“Let’s just say you are in a hurry, you are going to an interview or an engagement that requires you to be there right now, you need vehicles that are going to leave right now,” he said.
“You can’t wait for scheduled trips, and that is a big gap in our last-mile services.”
Users will be able to access the Gau Express service, request a ride, be geolocated, choose a departure point and destination, and then see a price via the existing Gautrain app.
Payment can be made directly on the app, or users can pay the e-hailing service via funds loaded to their Gautrain cards.
Additionally, the system will recognise that a passenger travelled on the train and give e-hailing customers a discount on their fare, similar to how Gautrain buses work.
Kgobe said that the service was intended to reinforce connectivity with the rail system, and that the pricing for Gau Express would be “one that empowers our trains.”
Gautrain’s expansion plan
In March, the Gautrain revealed the next phase of its 15-year expansion plan in an official gazette, detailing the first of the new stations to be built over the next few years.
This included the first stations planned for establishment, being located in Soweto, Mamelodi, Springs, Atteridgeville, Fourways, and parts of the West Rand, with the rest set to follow.
These include:
- Jabulani Station
- Roodepoort Station
- Lanseria Station
- Cradle Station
- Smart City Station
- Samrand Station
- Fourways Station
- Sunninghill Station
- Olievenhoutbosch Station
The new stations and connecting rail networks will require the construction of around 44km of underground tunnels across Gauteng and 7km of above-ground viaducts ranging in height from 6.75 to 23m.
Among these, one of the longest planned is the above-ground routes between Cosmo City and Lanseria, which will span approximately 17.4km.
Additionally, the gazette indicated a proposed Smart City route that will split from the new Cradle Station and run underground beneath the R114, R512, and N14.
Another extension will be built between Cosmo City and Samrand in Centurion.
As of April 2026, the Gautrain is fully in the hands and oversight of the Gauteng Provincial Government following the exit of its private owners.
“Our task is to maintain it, and it is in this context that we are maximising this investment for the next 15 years,” said Lesufi.
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