The Gauteng executive council has approved the procurement of a new delivery partner for the Gautrain system, meaning that the Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) has been granted the approval to go to market and advertise a request for proposals (RfP) for a new delivery partner for the Gautrain system post-2026.

The current Gautrain concession agreement comes to an end in March 2026.

The GMA welcomed the decision by the executive council and has already started with the plan to market the Gautrain post-2026 project and the advertisement notice for the RfP went live on November 5, GMA CEO William Dachs says.

“The new delivery partner will operate, maintain, modernise, innovate and upgrade the current Gautrain system so that the GMA can continue to provide a safe and efficient public transport service.

“Gautrain is the first and only rapid rail network and the first public-private partnership (PPP) of its scale in South Africa. It is a strategic asset valued at R45-billion and, once the current concession expires at the end of its 19.5-year term in March 2026, the costs of establishing this long-term asset will have been paid off, allowing the post-2026 Gautrain project to reap the economic benefits,” Dachs outlines.

He explains that, although it was planned and implemented as a transport project, the Gautrain is an economic development project focusing on reaching objectives of stimulating economic growth and job creation, promoting investment and new development.

Dachs posits that the post-2026 Gautrain project will further unlock economic potential and opportunities.

“It will also present an opportunity to build on a highly functional, world-class system and to rethink the Gautrain business model, ensuring the system not only responds to the current challenges, but further cements operational and financial sustainability in the long term.

“The Gautrain will become an even more integral part of people's daily lives and a catalyst for economic development, growth and economic recovery in the province. Kickstarting a procurement process for a new delivery partner will ensure a smooth and timeous transition from the existing delivery partner to the new contract, with no service disruption post March 2026,” he avers.