Railways in

South Africa

Luxury cruise train The Blue Train departing from Cape Town, Table Mountain in the background.

The first recorded railway in South Africa was a quarry line at The Bluff, near Durban, which operated from 1856. Just under 1 mile (1.5km) in length, it was unusual in being constructed with plain wooden rails on which wagons with flanged wheels ran, thus distinguishing it from earlier wooden railways in England which used flanged rails. The gauge was 4ft (1220mm). Wagons were drawn by oxen.

The first public railway opened in 1860 between Durban and The Point. This short railway was built to standard (1435mm) gauge and was subsequently extended as far as the mining areas of Witwatersrand. However, later railway development in South Africa was mainly at a gauge of 3ft 6in (1067mm). This choice of gauge was in part conditioned by a grandiose plan sponsored by the prominent entreprenuer and politician Cecil Rhodes for a transcontinental railway from the Cape of Good Hope all the way to Cairo in Egypt. Although the scheme was never realized, a number of other countries in East Africa adopted the same gauge, a decision which greatly facilitated international traffic.

The present day network covers most of the country, although passenger services are notably absent from the area west of the main line from Cape Town to Kimberley and Vryburg. The majority of lines are 3ft 6in (1067mm) gauge, although around 314km of 2ft (610mm) gauge line remain in operation. The main network has international connections with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Moçambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. In 2023, work commenced on an additional connection with Eswatini. All the connections carry at least some freight. There are no regular international passenger services, though many of the international connections are used at least occasionally by luxury cruise trains.

In 2023, bids were invited for the funding and development of a new 56km, 1067km railway from Lephalale to proposed coal mines in the Mmambula area of Botswana.

Main Line and Commuter Railways

• Transnet Freight Rail national railway network and freight operator on the network
• African Rail Company independent freight operator on the national network
• PRASA passenger operator
• Gautrain standard (1435mm) gauge inter-city and commuter railway between Pretoria and Johannesburg, with a link to Johannesburg International Airport.
• StarLine Namibian passenger train operator providing services between Upington and the Namibian border.
• The Blue Train luxury cruise train
• Rovos Rail luxury cruise train
• Shongololo Express luxury cruise train

Tourist Railways

• Atlantic Rail steam hauled passenger trains on the lines of Transnet, from Cape Town to destinations in the Stellenbosch area. Operates typically two Sundays each month. Other services are proposed for the future.
• New Cape Central Railway steam hauled passenger trains over the lines of Transnet from Robinson, or from Hermanstad on the outskirts of Pretoria. Robinson operates every Saturday, Hermanstad alternate Saturdays, mid March to mid December. Another route, from Cape Town to Matjiesfontein, appears not to be operating in 2026.
• Ceres Railway Company steam hauled passenger trains between Cape Town and Ceres, over the lines of Transnet and its own freight line. Operates one way or return journeys on a few days each month.
• Reefsteamers steam hauled passenger trains, operating typically 2 days each month, from Johannesburg Park station to Magaliesburg (about 40 km) and occasionally to other destinations.
• Sandstone Estates working farm near Ficksburg with a 2ft (610 mm) gauge railway covering some 26km, using preserved steam and diesel locomotives. Open to the public only for special events, but visits can generally be made at other times by prior arrangement.
• Umgeni Steam Railway Kloof to Inchanga, standard gauge, usually steam hauled. Runs two or three Sundays in each month. Occasional excursions also operate from Pietermaritzburg to Baynesfield and Wartburg.
• Winelands Light Railway 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge miniature railway about 760m in length, in a park near Stellenbosch. Steam or battery electric hauled.
• Wonder Steam Trains steam hauled tourist passenger trains on the lines of Transnet from Hermanstad to Irene, in the Pretoria area.
• Friends of the Choo-Tjoe group seeking to reopen all or part of the 67km line from Knysna to George, formerly the route of the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe, as a tourist line
• Century City Tramway Ratanga Park to Intaka Island in Century City, about 1.5km. 2ft (610 mm) gauge, battery electric tram. Operates weekends and public holidays, weather permitting, or by private charter
• Franschhoek Wine Tram diesel tram built to a traditional design, carrying visitors to vineyards in the Franschhoek area.
• Kimberley Trams historic 3ft 6in (1067mm) gauge electric street tramway running between City Hall and the Kimberley Mine Museum (No website located at present)

Industrial Railways

This list is not intended to be exhaustive.

• Ceres Railway Company private freight line from Wolseley (connection with Transnet) via Ceres to Prince Alfred Hamlet, about 26 km. Also operates tourist passenger services, see above.
• Kumba Iron Ore operates an extensive 1067mm gauge rail network at its Sishen mine in Northern Cape Province, loading trains for onward haulage by Transnet (Website contains few details relating to railway)