The Department of Transport (DoT) has kickstarted a request-for-information (RFI) process for private companies interested in investing in South Africa’s passenger-rail system.

Speaking at a media briefing on the weekend, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said the State-owned Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) had commissioned 35 out of its 40 passenger corridors by the end of May, and had achieved a yearly audited figure of 77-million passenger journeys.

To continue on this recovery path, however, the agency required additional investment that could not be carried by the fiscus alone.

Creecy said the RFI process would assist PRASA to “gather information, innovative ideas and solutions” that would guide a future request-for-proposal (RFP) process for private sector investment in passenger rail.

The RFI request covers a range of areas, including fare collection systems; depot management; the utilisation and commercialisation of PRASA’s fibre network; as well long-distance regional rapid transit.

“Each one of these projects are being announced today with the sole purpose of attracting the interest of the private sector to make these projects a reality,” said Creecy.

The first project is smart ticketing, with the DoT working towards implementing a single, tap-and-go ticket that can be used across all of South Africa’s trains, buses and taxis.

The second RFI target is upgrading PRASA's major maintenance depots at Braamfontein and Wolmerton.

“This will mean faster train repairs, better reliability and new investment in nearby areas – creating jobs and boosting local development,” noted Creecy.

The third project is turning PRASA's fibre-optic network into an asset, as the agency is rolling out thousands of kilometres of fibre-optic cable as part of its new signalling system.

“We are opening the door to private partners to help us turn that network into a source of income – by offering broadband and digital services – while strengthening safety and real-time communication across the rail system,” explained Creecy.

Another RFI project is the possible introduction of a new generation of regional trains that will connect cities such as Pretoria, Johannesburg, Polokwane, Musina, Mbombela and Durban using the existing network and traveling at speeds up to 120 km/h; and/or building new 160 km/h to 200 km/h regional lines; and/or rolling out a new 300 km/h high-speed rail link between Johannesburg and Durban.

“These lines will shorten travel times, reduce travel costs, take pressure off our roads and stimulate new development in towns along each route,” said Creecy.

“These regional projects are not possible without private sector partnership.”

The DoT is also inviting skilled private operators to lease and manage PRASA’s new fleet (blue trains), as well as its old train fleet (yellow Metrorail trains).

“These RFIs are not tenders,” emphasised Creecy.

“They are an invitation for the market to help us design the future of rail.

“Together, we can rebuild confidence in public transport, open up investment opportunities, and connect South Africans to the growth we all deserve.”

Creecy said the target was to reach 600-million rail passenger journeys a year by 2030.

The passenger-rail RFI process will remain open for eight weeks.

The rail and port freight RFI process is part of South Africa’s broader Freight Logistics Roadmap, which seeks to restore efficiency, reliability and competitiveness in the movement of goods across the domestic economy.

“We have concluded a nemorandum of agreement with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and National Treasury, appointing DBSA as the implementing agent on behalf of the DoT for the private-sector-participation (PSP) unit,” said Creecy.

“The PSP unit is in the process of being capacitated and will be ready to commence with the conceptualisation of bid windows and development of RFPs.”

On March 23, the DoT launched the first phase of online RFIs to interested and affected parties in the Transnet rail and port freight logistics sector.

The first RFI phase closed on May 30, tallying 162 formal responses, with 52 respondents located outside South Africa.

“Following on from this process, Transnet will issue the first RFP before the end of this year, and three more RFPs in the first half of 2026,” said Creecy.