The number of people using South Africa’s trains is slowly recovering, driven by improvements in the commuter rail service network.

In March 2024, Statistics South Africa recorded 4.7-million train journeys. A year later, that figure had risen to 7.4-million. But this is still nowhere near the highs of 2009, when there was an average of 52-million journeys per month.

Over the past year, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has significantly expanded the number of operational lines. By March 2025, 34 of PRASA’s 40 commuter service lines were running – up dramatically from just four in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Train services ground to a halt in late March 2020 during the country’s initial hard lockdown. Although operations resumed as restrictions eased, the recovery was hampered by widespread vandalism and theft at rail stations and along the tracks. The revival of the rail network is a critical step in restoring affordable public transport.