Video Description:
After decades of decline, vandalism, abandoned railway lines and the collapse of passenger and freight rail, South Africa’s railway system is finally showing signs of recovery. In the final episode of my Ghost Railways of South Africa series, we look at what could come next and whether South Africa can actually rebuild its railway network for the future. From Transnet’s freight recovery and the opening of the rail network to private operators, to PRASA’s passenger rail recovery and the return of more than 100 million annual commuter journeys, there are some genuinely encouraging developments happening. We also look at the Draft National Rail Master Plan, which proposes a completely different way of thinking about South African rail: treating railway infrastructure as a national asset, separating infrastructure management from train operations, focusing investment on the most important corridors, and potentially transitioning parts of the national network towards standard gauge and higher-speed passenger rail. But what happens to the thousands of kilometres of railway that aren’t economically viable for traditional freight or commuter services? Could some of South Africa’s abandoned and underused railways find a second life through tourism and heritage rail? We look at the incredible projects already happening across the country, including Ceres Rail, the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe, Umgeni Steam Railway, New Cape Central Railway, Atlantic Rail, Rovos Rail, The Blue Train, Sandstone Estates and Kruger Shalati. And ultimately, we ask the biggest question: Is South Africa’s railway system really dead or are we witnessing the beginning of a railway renaissance? There is still an enormous amount of work to do. Billions will be required, thousands of kilometres of railway remain in poor condition, and problems with signalling, maintenance, security, governance and infrastructure haven’t disappeared. But for the first time in a very long time, there are signs that South African rail isn’t simply getting worse.