New high-speed train plan for South Africa

The Gauteng government continues to promote the new high-speed rail link between Johannesburg and Polokwane. However, it has met fierce resistance from some quarters.

In October 2023, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced the planned high-speed rail link between Johannesburg and Polokwane.

During the Smarter Mobility Africa Summit, Lesufi said the Gauteng government planned the first high-speed rail link between Johannesburg and Limpopo.

He highlighted that both provincial governments discussed constructing a railway line linking the two provinces.

This railway line aims to alleviate traffic congestion and take advantage of economic spinoffs from undertaking such a project.

Lesufi said the provinces were set to appoint a team to conduct a feasibility study on the project and then approach the national government.

This team is set to include engineers and experts who will assess the project’s feasibility and determine the best route.

The two provincial governments said they would consider securing public-private partnerships to fund it.

In August 2024, Gauteng’s MEC for Road and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela said they had made good progress.

“We are pleased to announce that we are on the verge of signing an agreement with the Limpopo Provincial Government regarding the high-speed rail project,” Diale-Tlabela said.

The proposed line will run for roughly 240 km between Johannesburg in Gauteng and Polokwane in Limpopo.

Depending on compliance and approval processes, the new railway line is expected to be completed in four to six years.

Former Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) CEO Jack van der Merwe previously said the Gautrain will play a major role in the new Gauteng-to-Limpopo service.

Current GMA CEO Tshepo Kgobe told ITWeb that the new high-speed transportation system will pull passengers and freight.

He added that this link will use “new-generation technologies, including intelligent manufacturing, and advanced signalling and sensory systems”.

During his latest State of the Province Address, Lesufi reiterated plans to significantly expand the Gautrain network.

“In less than two years, the Gauteng government will invest R120 billion for the expansion of the Gautrain from 80 km to 230 km,” Lesufi said.

Lesufi said that expanding the rapid rail system would bring new areas into the fold, including Soweto, Fourways, Mamelodi, Atteridgeville, Vaal, Lanseria, and Springs.

Fight against the multi-billion investment

The Automobile Association (AA) has voiced its fierce resistance to the Gautrain expansion and high-speed rail link between Johannesburg and Polokwane.

The AA argued that the Gautrain is a financial train wreck and that any expansion must be stopped to avoid wasting more money.

The AA said the Patronage Guarantee remains one of the biggest issues facing the extensions and should be addressed before further work is done.

The Patronage Guarantee compensates Bombela, the private concessionaire that operates Gautrain, for low ridership on its trains.

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport paid Bombela R2.79 billion in the 2023/24 financial year, up from R2.37 billion the year before.

This payment was made because “the actual revenue and ridership were significantly below the minimum required total revenue projections”.

“Billions of Gauteng taxpayer’s rands have been paid to Bombela since 2012 through the Patronage Guarantee,” the AA said.

The AA questioned whether figures provided to justify further extensions can be trusted, given that the current revenue projections already fall way short of the mark.

“It is quite clear that Gautrain failed to deliver on its ridership projections from the outset, and now the burden of funding falls on taxpayers,” the AA said.

The organisation argued that Gauteng residents who do not use the service because it is too expensive are subsidising it.

It added that there is a lack of reliable, sustainable, affordable, and safe public transport for the majority of the province’s citizens.

The Association said siphoning money from the Gauteng Roads and Infrastructure budget to Bombela means other transport options are not properly funded.

“We stand firm in our opposition to the extension of the Gautrain network and the continued funding of the system through the Patronage Guarantee,” the AA said.