Dark clouds gather over Gautrain

The Gautrain’s passenger numbers are still far below those before the COVID-19 pandemic, raising concerns about the rail network’s financial sustainability.

This is according to Gauteng finance MEC Lebogang Maile, who, during his 2025 Budget Speech, revealed that passenger numbers dropped from 13.9 million in 2019/20 to 7.9 million in 2023/24.

“The expansion of the Gautrain remains a strategic priority for the province, but its financial sustainability has come under increasing scrutiny,” said Maile.

“Ridership levels have yet to recover to pre-pandemic figures.”

The existing Gautrain Concession Agreement between the provincial government and the Bombela Concession Company will expire in March 2026. The long-term agreement has been in effect since 2006.

“By the end of the concession term in March 2026, the Gautrain system will be a fully paid-up asset of the province estimated at R45 billion,” said Maile.

“The post-2026 Gautrain will also be procured via a public-private partnership.”

The finance MEC said the provincial government is currently engaged in a procurement process to appoint a new concessionaire to operate and maintain the Gautrain.

“We will ensure that while the service is maintained post-2026, it remains within the limits of affordability and continues to deliver on the mandate of Gautrain of delivering value for money,” he added.

“Post-2026, the Gautrain will be the first transport initiative in the world to be reconcessioned as a public-private partnership, affirming the place of Gauteng in the global space.”

The Gauteng Provincial Government has plans to invest R120 billion into the Gautrain’s expansion.

Premier Panyaza Lesufi confirmed the plans in his State of the Province Address on Monday, 24 February 2025.

“The Gautrain rail expansion will be a gateway to opportunity, creating more than 125,000 construction jobs while igniting growth in property, retail, and logistics along its path,” said Lesufi.

“Gauteng Government will invest R120 billion in the expansion of Gautrain to the following areas: Soweto via Fourways, Mamelodi, Atteridgeville, Lanseria, and Springs.”

Before that, the Gauteng Transport Department published a notice of route determinations for the Soweto Extension and Cosmo City Junction.

The description of the proposed route is as follows:

• Little Falls Station to Jabulani Station (Soweto) through Roodepoort
• Costmo City Station to Samrand Station through Fourways Station, Sunninghill Station, and Olievenhoutbosch Station
• Cosmo City Station to Lanseria Station through Cradle Station and Smart City Station.

The provincial government expects the expansion to create more than 10.1 million jobs in the province over five years.

It will see the Gautrain network expanded by 150km from 80km to 230km, adding access to the areas mentioned above.

Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) CEO Tshepo Kgobe said the expansion scope has grown significantly, with the GMA planning for a much wider network than initially planned.

In May 2024, Kgobe said the early phases of expansion were progressing well, with the GMA finalising route determinations for the extension from Malboro Station to Little Falls.

“The extension project to add 150-kilometre of rail network to the existing 80-kilometre Gautrain system is taking shape,” he said.

Kgobe succeeded former GMA CEO William Dachs, who, in October 2023, revealed that the GMA was in the advanced stages of finalising planning for the expansion.

About a year and a half later, the GMA developed proclamation routes to connect areas like Fourways, Randburg, Little Falls, and Cosmo City.

The expansion project is expected to kick off in 2026 when the GMA’s concession ends.