PRASA restores rail service, adds buses in South Africa
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The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) demonstrated improvements to commuter rail lines in Gauteng province and introduced 17 new long-distance buses connecting Gauteng with Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy led an inspection of the rail system as part of the country’s annual Transport Month initiative. PRASA resumed services on the Mabopane rail corridor, which had been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, in June 2022 and expanded them in July 2023.
The government invested R3-billion (approximately $160 million USD) over the past three years to repair Gauteng’s rail network, creating over 8,000 jobs. This investment included R800-million spent on electrical equipment and work on 163 kilometers of overhead electrical infrastructure. Upgrades to signalling systems and the construction of a 3.5-meter-high security wall aim to reduce theft and improve safety.
PRASA reports a substantial increase in train trips on the Mabopane line, rising from 613 in 2019 to 17,800 in 2026, and expects to carry 10 million passengers this year compared to 5.2 million last year. The new City to City buses offer amenities like Wi-Fi and charging ports, and the agency intends to integrate these long-distance services with existing commuter rail options like Metrorail and Gautrain to offer passengers more convenient travel options.
