South Africa railway news
News about railway operations, services and the supply industry in South Africa.
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NewsPrasa restores more suburban rail services
SOUTH AFRICA: Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa has restarted its Metrorail suburban rail services on five sections of the networks in the provinces of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape. Local rail services across the country had been disrupted by a spate of vandalism and cable ...
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NewsPrasa resumes long-distance services after two years
SOUTH AFRICA: Prasa restarted Shosholoza Meyl long-distance passenger services on the Johannesburg – Durban and Johannesburg – Cape Town routes on December 7.
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NewsInfrastructure manager established ahead of South African rail network opening
SOUTH AFRICA: National railway and logistics group Transnet has established an interim rail infrastructure manager as part of plans to open the network to third party train operators in 2024. Vertical separation forms part of the government’s National Rail Policy which aims to facilitate private sector ...
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NewsGauteng and Eastern Cape suburban services restored
SOUTH AFRICA: Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa has restarted services on the Pretoria – Kempton Park suburban rail line in Gauteng province, and reintroduced a limited service on the Gqeberha – Uitenhage line in Eastern Cape province. Local rail services across the country had been ...
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NewsSouthern Africa opportunities for UK rail supply chain
AFRICA: The Southern African Railways Association and UK trade association Rail Forum have signed a letter of intent for long-term co-operation in rail infrastructure development. The collaboration brings together SARA, Rail Forum, the UK Department for Business & Trade, UK Export Finance and the UK Rail ...
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NewsPrasa reopens Durban suburban line using X’Trapolis EMUs
SOUTH AFRICA: Passenger Agency of South Africa has restarted a limited passenger service on the 17 km Durban – KwaMashu suburban rail line. A reopening ceremony on September 12 was attended by Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga and CEO of the Prasa Group Hishaam Emeran. While ...
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NewsSouth African operator addresses maintenance backlog with turnout contract
SOUTH AFRICA: Transnet Freight Rail has awarded Voestalpine VAE SA a three-year contract to supply turnouts and components. VAESA Chief Executive Pulane Tshabalala Kingston said this is the first substantial turnout contract to have be successfully awarded by TFR in the last five years. She said ...
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In depthViewpoint: The challenge of pricing South African rail access
Predictable and evidence-based regulation will be needed to support a viable pricing model for access to a vertically separated South African rail network under the government’s reform programme. Economist Sarah Truen explains the challenge.
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NewsPrasa reintroduces Gauteng suburban service
SOUTH AFRICA: Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa has restarted a limited service on the Germiston – Leralla line in the Johannesburg suburbs. The reintroduction of services on June 27 follows a 14-month blockade to restore vandalised infrastructure. Trains are currently only calling at Leralla, Limindlela, ...
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NewsMinister blocks Cape Town suburban rail devolution ‘for now’
SOUTH AFRICA: ‘For now we are not in the process of devolving railway services, that is why Prasa is busy building up railway services in the Western Cape’, national Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga told local media during a site visit to Cape Town in May. ...
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NewsAlstom Ubunye opens South African welding school
SOUTH AFRICA: The Alstom Ubunye Welding School in Nigel has opened to provide free professional welding training for unemployed young people. It is accredited by the South African Institute of Welding, and will provide theoretical and practical modules developed under the guidance of industry specialists and ...
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NewsPrasa reaches milestone in Cape Town suburban rail restoration
SOUTH AFRICA: Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa restarted services on April 4 between Langa and Nyanga on Cape Town’s Central Line.
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NewsFreight operator investigates whether ghost trains are haunting its network
SOUTH AFRICA: Transnet has started investigating allegations of ‘ghost trains’ on its network, following reports that services may be operating which are not formally scheduled, with the revenue not flowing back to the national freight operator. In a statement on March 27, Transnet emphasised that ‘these ...
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NewsSix 8E locos to receive HVAC upgrade
SOUTH AFRICA: Booyco Engineering has been commissioned to update the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system fitted to the driver’s cabs of six Class 8E locomotives operated by a South African coal producer. The HVAC systems are designed and manufactured at Booyco Engineering’s Germiston facilities. However, the ...
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NewsTransnet seeks locomotive rehabilitation options
SOUTH AFRICA: Transnet has announced its intention to call an open tender for the rehabilitation of 161 non-operational locomotives ‘as a matter of urgency’, saying it had reached an impasse with the manufacturer. The CRRC Class 22E electric locos are intended for use on the North, ...
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NewsOne bid passes first stage of South African train path sales process
SOUTH AFRICA: Transnet Freight Rail has conditionally awarded private operator Traxtion Sheltam paths on the Cape Corridor, but there were no compliant bids for train paths on the Container Corridor. A total of 19 parties had expressed initial interest in 16 slots on the two corridors ...
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NewsPrasa restores Johannesburg Park – Naledi electrification
SOUTH AFRICA: Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa restarted electric services on the Johannesburg Park – Naledi suburban line on November 28.
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NewsTransnet Freight Rail looks at alternative traction energy options
SOUTH AFRICA: Transnet Freight Rail is seeking industry feedback on how affordable renewable electricity could be integrated into its traction power supplies to improve energy security and efficiency and reduce the railway’s environmental impact Any changes would need to take into account the scale of the ...
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NewsBids in for South African freight train paths
SOUTH AFRICA: Transnet Freight Rail is evaluating the applications it has received to run freight services on two corridors under a pilot scheme to sell train paths to third party operators. Opening up access to the rail network forms part of a reform process set out ...
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NewsBotswana – South Africa rail enhancements agreed
AFRICA: An agreement in principle to provide landlocked Botswana with more efficient rail access to South African ports has been announced by Botswana Railways and Transnet Freight Rail. The two operators are to collaborate to upgrade sections of the 126 km South African line between Swartruggens ...