Warning about Gautrain expansion to Soweto, Fourways, and Lanseria

Gautrain’s expansion could significantly benefit Gauteng’s economy and transport network. However, some critics say it will do more harm than good.

The Gautrain — also known as the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link Network — is an 80-kilometre high-speed commuter rail system in South Africa.

It is managed by the Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) under a Concession Agreement between the Gauteng Provincial Government and a private operator.

The Gautrain connects Johannesburg, Pretoria, Kempton Park, and OR Tambo International Airport. It currently has eight stations across Gauteng, excluding the Rhodesfield route for airport travellers.

These eight stations are Hatfield, Pretoria, Centurion, Midrand, Marlboro, Sandton, Rosebank and Park.

The Gautrain was primarily designed to address the severe traffic congestion in the Johannesburg-Pretoria corridor and give travellers an efficient alternative to road transport.

However, it has had the added benefit of giving Gauteng’s economy a much-needed boost.

The GMA has recorded significant benefits of the Gautrain on Gauteng’s economy, including:

• 34,800 direct jobs were created during the construction phase, and 922 sustainable jobs since operations began.
• An estimated R46 billion contribution to the province’s GDP
• Increased property development around Gautrain stations
• The value of property near Gautrain stations is growing 3% faster than in surrounding areas, and rental rates in places like Rosebank have, in some cases, experienced a 100% appreciation

Webber Wentzel’s Calvin Nchabeleng and Tshepang Mphela said these benefits are expected to grow when the Gautrain is expanded.

On 26 February 2025, the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Roads and Transport in Gauteng, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, issued a Notice of Route Determination of a Railway Line.

This notice set out plance for the plans for the Soweto Extension and Cosmo City Junction of the Gauteng Rapid Rail Integrated Network Extension Project.

Nchabeleng and Mphela explained that this project aims to expand the Gautrain network by adding new routes and stations.

New Gautrain routes

According to the MEC’s Notice, the proposed railway routes include:

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

The legal experts explained that the MEC’s notice was published under section 6 of the Gauteng Transport Infrastructure Act (GTIA).

The GTIA serves several functions, including consolidating the laws relating to roads and other types of transport infrastructure in Gauteng, regulating transport infrastructure, and vesting the obligation to finance, construct, and manage the province’s transport infrastructure in the MEC.

“The publication of the notice marks the first phase in a two-phase process of establishing a railway line,” they said.

“The first phase is the Route Determination, followed by the Preliminary Design phase.”

Section 6 of the GTIA outlines the required process for determining a new route.

In terms of this section, the MEC must initiate a preliminary route alignment study in the form of a written report containing recommendations on the proposed route.

In addition, the MEC must conduct an environmental investigation and compile a report before finalising the route determination.

Gautrain in trouble

The Gautrain’s proposed expansion is partly in response to the system’s declining passenger numbers, which have dropped by over five million in the past four years.

Ridership levels have not recovered since the Covid-19 pandemic, with South Africans not travelling to work as frequently and preferring private modes of transport.

Gautrain Management Agency CEO Tshepo Kgobe said former frequent commuters continue to work from home in hybrid or remote positions.

“The days of a predictable 9-to-5, Monday through Friday commute are over. Passengers demand that we run a frequent service throughout the day and offer dynamic pricing to suit their hybrid work schedules.

“And with the rising cost of living, cost is increasingly becoming the sole determinant when choosing a mode of transport.”

This trend is not unique to the Gautrain, with rail operators across the world facing similar issues.

However, the Gautrain’s operators need to address this problem soon, as it also faces severe financial difficulties, which impact local taxpayers.

This is partly why the plan to expand the Gautrain and invest in diversifying its revenue streams has been sharply criticised.

In light of declining passenger numbers and taxpayer funding of around R2.79 billion in the previous financial year, civil society organisations have said money invested in the Gautrain risks being wasted.

“Despite this reality, authorities are pushing forward with an extravagant R120 billion expansion project, neglecting the pressing transport needs of the province,” the Automobile Association (AA) said.

“While the province claims this expansion will create 125,000 jobs, we must ask: at what cost?”

“Genuine, sustainable job creation should arise from investments that benefit the majority of South Africans — not from sinking billions into a faltering system that is losing its riders.”

“From the outset, we have cautioned that this expansion is misguided. With dwindling ridership and mounting operational costs, it is now abundantly clear: We warned you.”

This article was first published by Daily Investor and is reproduced with permission.