Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
During the 2024/25 financial year, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) saw an increase in passenger trips to 77 million, a significant increase from the previous financial year total of 39.4 million. “Across every region, we have registered momentum. Gauteng delivered 40.7 million trips, the Western Cape 22.7 million, KwaZulu-Natal 12.7 million, and the Eastern Cape 670,000 trips. We expect the growth in passenger trips to grow across the PRASA network,” PRASA Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Hishaam Emeran said. The agency’s achievements have been highlighted in the 2024/25 Group Annual Report, which was released by Emeran during a media briefing in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
“Of 208 254 scheduled services, we operated 202 358 – that is 91% on-time performance with cancellations held to just 3%. On-time performance is one of our most important metrics. Given that many of our passengers take the train to get to work, our on-time performance guarantees that they will get to work on time. This operational discipline, combined with our progressive deployment of modern rolling stock, is why passengers are choosing rail again,” the GCEO said.
According to the Group’s Annual Report, the organisation has achieved an overall performance level of 93%, up from 87% from the previous year. This is the highest in more than a decade and marks an upward trajectory in performance in three consecutive years against the Annual Performance Plan (APP).
“Our service restoration tells an even better story. We have successfully returned 35 of PRASA’s 40 service lines to operation, with 70% now fully operational. Strategic corridor recoveries including the phased restoration of Johannesburg–Roodepoort–Randfontein and increased frequencies on high-demand routes like Saulsville–Pretoria and Germiston–Pilot–Kwesine are directly translating into reduced travel times and higher patronage,” he said. According to the GCEO, the Rolling Stock Modernisation Programme remains on track.
“The majority of our corridors now run the modern electric multiple unit (EMU) fleet. Our operational EMU fleet has grown from 96 to 134 units during the year, reflecting the systematic replacement of our legacy rolling stock with modern, reliable trains that passengers can depend on. By the end of March 2025, PRASA had received a total of 268 new trains, with 60 trains delivered in the 2024/25 financial year and over 70% deployed in the Regions. Safety remains one of our top priorities. We maintained our three-year Railway Safety Regulator permit (valid through August 2025) and closed 144 of 200 historical Improvement Directives – clear evidence that our safety management systems are maturing,” he said.
New signalling infrastructure was commissioned on three priority lines in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, improving train frequencies and headways between trains to deliver reliable and efficient services. Forty-six stations were revitalised, surpassing the target of 40, bringing the total of recovered and operational stations to 313 out of 468 commuter stations.
Despite strong passenger volume growth, Metrorail revenue of R396.6 million fell short of targets due to ticketing system gaps, delay-related refunds, increased season ticket adoption, and deferred fare adjustments. “We are implementing targeted interventions – stabilising ticketing systems, refining customer policies, and proceeding with planned fare adjustments to ensure patronage growth translates into sustainable revenue streams.”
In another historic milestone, PRASA has received an Unqualified Audit Opinion from the Auditor-General for the first time in nine years. This achievement follows years of adverse findings – four years of disclaimer opinions (2019–2022) and two years of qualified opinions (2023–2024).
“Our governance structures have shown marked improvement. The Audit & Risk Committee reports consistent compliance with Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) requirements, enhanced audit coverage spanning 52 audits across 42 operational areas, and sustained quality assurance processes. While challenges remain in financial controls, supply chain management, and consequence management, we have implemented concrete remediation measures with visible year-on-year improvement. We received an unqualified audit opinion from the Auditor General, a clear demonstration of the strides we have made in our control environment,” Emeran said.
