Overview
- The Transport Department, which launched nationwide consultations Thursday, also put the draft online with GIS maps and interactive tools for public comment.
- The plan casts rail as the backbone of both freight and passenger transport and seeks to shift more cargo off roads to ease congestion and cut costs.
- Officials say rail now moves about 165 million tons a year against market demand near 280 million tons, a shortfall that limits exports and costs jobs in mining and agriculture.
- The proposal calls for roughly R2 trillion in public and private investment over 30 years, with modelling that estimates every R1 million spent could add R4.3 million to GDP.
- A brownfield-first approach would upgrade existing lines before selective new builds, with a new Rail Planning Component to keep a national data bank, update the plan yearly, and return it to Cabinet after consultations close in July 2026.