The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) expects passenger trips on the Mabopane rail corridor to reach 10-million during the current financial year as government steps up efforts to restore commuter rail services and protect infrastructure from vandalism.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy made the announcement during an oversight visit to Prasa’s Mabopane corridor in Tshwane on Thursday, where she outlined improvements to train operations, a R1-billion security-wall programme and the launch of a new fleet of long-distance buses.
The visit comes as Prasa continues rebuilding a rail network that suffered extensive damage and disruption during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Creecy said the combined Mabopane and Belle Ombre’ services carried approximately 5.2-million passengers in the 2024/25 financial year, rising to 7-million in 2025/26. “This year we estimate that 10-million passenger trips will take place on this line,” she said.
According to the minister, punctuality on the Mabopane service currently stands at 97%, with cancellations at 0.7%. The Belle Ombre service records 99% punctuality, with cancellations below 1%.
Creecy said customer satisfaction had risen to 77%, although the methodology and period covered by the measurement were not specified in her address.
R800-million invested in Mabopane rail corridor
Creecy said Prasa had invested R800-million in the Mabopane and De Wildt corridor to upgrade overhead electrical equipment, substations, signalling and telecommunications.
The work includes 163km of overhead electrical equipment and the refurbishment of 14 substations, several of which had to be rebuilt after extensive vandalism.
“What we now have here is a network that is much more capable than the one that we had before,” she said. Creecy added that the upgraded electrical infrastructure would provide the foundation for additional trains as further work on the system was completed.
She also said R50-billion had been spent restoring Prasa’s rail network in Gauteng over the past three years, covering infrastructure and rolling stock. According to the minister, the renewal programme had created more than 80 000 direct and indirect jobs.
The introduction of new signalling systems had significantly increased train operations along the Mabopane corridor, she said. In 2021, the Mabopane-to-Pretoria service recorded 613 train trips. In the past financial year, the combined Mabopane and Belle Ombre’ services delivered 17 886 train trips, according to Creecy.
The increases form part of efforts to restore commuter rail following years of unreliable and unavailable services.
Creecy acknowledged that the service had not always met commuters’ needs, particularly during the Covid-19 disruption, when passengers faced long and costly alternative journeys. She said a limited diesel service between Mabopane and Tshwane began operating in November 2020, with services resuming in January 2022. Services to Bel Ombre followed in July 2023, with further expansions since then.
R1-billion security walls to combat vandalism
Prasa is building security walls along 58km of railway infrastructure in an effort to prevent the theft and vandalism that damaged the network during the pandemic. Creecy said the programme had a combined contract value of R1-billion and involved constructing walls measuring 3.5 metres high, fitted with steel mesh.
The works have been divided into three contract packages covering sections of the network, including Mabopane, Kopanong, Mountain View, Pretoria Station and Valhalla. According to the minister, construction has created jobs for 284 members of local communities, while 22 small businesses are providing services linked to the project.
The walls are intended to restrict unauthorised access, reduce theft and vandalism, improve safety around stations and platforms, and support surveillance and emergency response.
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However, Creecy acknowledged that the security measures would not eliminate every risk facing the rail network. PRASA has also reduced the copper content in its new signalling systems by 80%, according to the minister, making the equipment less attractive to thieves targeting copper cabling.
The agency is introducing community-based cooperatives to clean refurbished stations, with the aim of encouraging local ownership and responsibility for public transport infrastructure. Creecy said the initiative was intended to promote “community ownership and community responsibility for these lines that we are building”.
The measures form part of a broader effort to protect the investment made in restoring rail services and prevent further disruption to commuters.
New Prasa buses to serve Eastern Cape and Limpopo
Alongside the rail improvements, Prasa is preparing to deploy a new fleet of long-distance buses connecting Gauteng with the Eastern Cape and Limpopo during the festive season. Creecy said the agency had taken delivery of its first 17 buses, with 10 present at Thursday’s launch.
“During this year’s festive season, these 17 are going to be moving our long-distance passengers up and down from the Eastern Cape and from Limpopo,” she said.
The buses form part of Prasa’s long-distance passenger services while the restoration of long-distance passenger rail remains a longer-term undertaking.
Creecy said rebuilding long-distance passenger rail would take time.
“Restoring long-distance passenger rail is not something that is going to happen tomorrow morning,” she said.
The fleet is expected to provide an additional transport option for passengers travelling between Gauteng and the two provinces during the busy festive-season period.
Further details, including specific routes, ticket prices, passenger capacity and departure schedules, were not provided in the portion of the minister’s address available. Those details will be important for passengers weighing up affordable travel options during the December holiday period.
Creecy highlights affordability of commuter rail
Creecy also used the visit to highlight the cost of rail travel, saying she paid R7 for the journey from Mabopane to Tshwane.
“I challenge you, all of you, to tell me what else can you buy for seven rand these days?” she said, arguing that affordable rail travel helped households retain more of their income for food, education and other essentials.
“A working railway for commuters in our country offers much more than a seat on a train,” she said.
She pointed to the importance of arriving at work on time, attending classes, keeping medical appointments and returning home safely.
Creecy said the government wanted to restore rail as the backbone of public transport for passengers and freight.
The visit forms part of October Transport Month, which is being held under the theme “Building a safe, sustainable, reliable and affordable transport system”.
While Prasa’s figures point to increased passenger activity and improved operational performance on the Mabopane corridor, the longer-term test will be whether the agency can sustain those gains, protect infrastructure from theft and vandalism, and provide reliable services as demand grows.
For commuters, the success of the recovery will ultimately be measured by dependable journeys, safe stations and affordable transport that meets their daily needs.
- The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) expects passenger trips on the Mabopane rail corridor to reach 10-million during the current financial year as government steps up efforts to restore commuter rail services and protect infrastructure from vandalism.
- Transport Minister Barbara Creecy made the announcement during an oversight visit to Prasa’s Mabopane corridor in Tshwane on Thursday, where she outlined improvements to train operations, a R1-billion security-wall programme and the launch of a new fleet of long-distance buses.
- The visit comes as Prasa continues rebuilding a rail network that suffered extensive damage and disruption during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- READ: The paper trail behind the R60 Prasa security probe Creecy said the combined Mabopane and Belle Ombre’ services carried approximately 5.2-million passengers in the 2024/25 financial year, rising to 7-million in 2025/26.
