President Cyril Ramaphosa’s high-speed rail dream in South Africa is about to come true as the Department of Transport pushes for a ‘railway renaissance’ in this country.
Speaking at a virtual Transportation Standing Committee on Wednesday, October 19, the Department informed Congress of the draft National Rail Policy White Paper outlining plans to overhaul the industry. Railway involves both rail passenger and freight transport.
The ministry said the planned policy would follow the National Railways Act and aim to make rail a more affordable, competitive and efficient mode of transport that forms the backbone of logistics the country’s cargo and passenger movement by 2050.
An important part of the draft document is a push to develop high-speed public transport.
In 2019, during his State of the Nation address, President Cyril Ramaphosa said he dreams of a South Africa, where cities are filled with skyscrapers connected by bullet trains.
“We should imagine a country where high-speed trains pass through Johannesburg on the way from here to Musina, and stop at Buffalo City on the way from Ethekwini.”
“Isn’t it time to build a new smart city based on the technologies of the fourth industrial revolution? I want to invite South Africans to start imagining that scenario,” Ramaphosa said at the time.
Under the new policy, the ministry wants to accelerate investment in the railway sector to start a “railway renaissance” in the country by developing high-speed and heavy-duty public transport.
The new policy will also allow passenger/commuting routes to operate where the current South African Passenger Railway Authority (Prasa) cannot meet demand.
Speaking on High Speed Rail (HSR), the ministry said it plans to lay the groundwork for prioritizing high-speed corridors in South Africa.
As part of the new HSR framework, the Ministry of Transport said it will identify strategic objectives for consideration, namely:
• The twinning of certain towns and the effects this may have;
• Population size in some cities and existing transport systems;
• Distance, connectivity and possible congestion;
• Forecast of passenger volume and financial feasibility.
In some areas, rapid transit is also on the cards, with provincial governments now able to develop business cases to further develop existing urban transport, the Ministry of Transport download said.
South Africa’s development of high-speed or long-distance rail is promoted, by ministry, into:
• Maximize the economically viable inland rail passenger catchment area by 2050;
• Maximize connectivity between urban, regional and high-speed systems and airports;
• Reduce the number of motor vehicles in urban areas.
To finance these plans, the respective government agencies can set aside funds for investments in railways to the extent possible, he said.
“In addition, as in many countries, the responsible authority may engage other interested organizations to co-finance passenger services and/or engage the private sector, thereby making use of their capabilities.”
Currently, only 1.1% of the working population relies on Prasa to get to work every day. The chart below shows the most common ways South Africans get to the office, according to Statistics South Africa:
