Midrand: AfricUpdate – News Desk
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), which oversees South Africa’s Metrorail train network, has reported considerable growth following the crash it suffered five years ago. At the start of the decade, passenger numbers for the nation’s train network declined steeply, thanks in large part to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, governance failures, heightened security risks, and increased vandalism also contributed to the railway’s decline.
As a result, many potential passengers choose to use more expensive but reliable forms of transport, such as taxis and buses. Despite this, PRASA’s 2024/25 financial year report revealed that it had completed 77 million passenger trips, nearly doubling the 39 million reported in 2023/24. This represents an overachievement of around 17 million trips against the agency’s target.
Additionally, with this latest figure, PRASA’s passenger numbers have increased 667% since 2020/21, with Gauteng being the largest contributor, followed by the Western Cape and KZN. Along with this, the data showed a generally upward trend in month-on-month passenger numbers, for instance, rising from 4.48 million in April 2024 to 7.65 million in March 2025.
“We did not just deliver on our promises – we exceeded them, restoring passenger confidence while building the foundation for a modern, reliable railway system that our commuters deserve,” said CEO Hishaam Emeran. “We expect the growth in passenger trips to grow across the PRASA network.” Other notable statistics include a 91% on-time performance, with only 3% cancellations, across over 200 thousand scheduled trips.
Along with this, PRASA has returned 35 of its 40 service lines to operation. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), which oversees South Africa’s Metrorail train network, has reported considerable growth following the crash it suffered five years ago. At the start of the decade, passenger numbers for the nation’s train network declined steeply, thanks in large part to the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, governance failures, heightened security risks, and increased vandalism also contributed to the railway’s decline. As a result, many potential passengers choose to use more expensive but reliable forms of transport, such as taxis and buses. Despite this, PRASA’s 2024/25 financial year report revealed that it had completed 77 million passenger trips, nearly doubling the 39 million reported in 2023/24.
This represents an overachievement of around 17 million trips against the agency’s target. Additionally, with this latest figure, PRASA’s passenger numbers have increased 667% since 2020/21, with Gauteng being the largest contributor, followed by the Western Cape and KZN. Along with this, the data showed a generally upward trend in month-on-month passenger numbers, for instance, rising from 4.48 million in April 2024 to 7.65 million in March 2025.
“We did not just deliver on our promises – we exceeded them, restoring passenger confidence while building the foundation for a modern, reliable railway system that our commuters deserve,” said CEO Hishaam Emeran. “We expect the growth in passenger trips to grow across the PRASA network.” Other notable statistics include a 91% on-time performance, with only 3% cancellations, across over 200 thousand scheduled trips. Along with this, PRASA has returned 35 of its 40 service lines to operation.
While these results are positive for PRASA, lingering concerns remain over the organisation’s financial position. Despite the considerable passenger numbers, the revenue generated by the Metrorail fell short of targets due to ticketing system gaps, delay-related refunds increased season ticket adoption, and deferred fare adjustments. Emeran has noted that targeted interventions have been conducted to address this, like stabilising ticketing systems and improving customer policies.
He explained that these interventions will inspire greater patronage growth and sustainable revenue streams. That said, the group’s surplus for the year decreased from R10.5 billion to R3.1 billion amid heightened capital expenditure and a decrease in the government subsidy. He indicated that capital investment was essential for recovery and that the group’s increased expenditure clearly indicates a focus on fleet renewal, infrastructure recovery, and system modernisation.
PRASA has, as a part of this, expended R21.1 billion in capital and, through this, created 84,718 jobs. It also received an unqualified audit opinion from the Auditor-General. “We are closing remaining audit findings, strengthening supply chain controls, and fully embedding consequence management systems to ensure sustainable governance standards that stand the test of time,” said Emeran.
