In September 1859, E. & J. Pickering imported a steam locomotive built by Hawthorn & Co. from Leith, Scotland, intended for the construction of this line. The locomotive, nicknamed "Blackie" in South Africa for its black paint (1874-1897), was preserved as a national monument in 1936.
The Blackie steam locomotive is South Africa's first locomotive (Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo credit: Danie van der Merwe)
In 1858, construction began on a 72-kilometer railway from Cape Town to Wellington in the neighboring Cape Colony, using a gauge of 1,435 mm. The project was led by engineer William George Brownger (1820-1902), known for his work on the Crystal Palace for the 1851 London World's Fair.
The first section of the line to the Eerste River opened on February 13, 1862, while the full line was officially completed in 1863. Meanwhile, by 1864, the Vinberg Railway Company had connected Cape Town and Vinberg. During that period, railway development in the Cape Town area halted at Wellington, impeded by the Cape Town Fold Belt mountains.
In 1872, the Cape Colony became the first British colony to establish a responsible government, marking a milestone in colonial self-governance. John Molteno, a progressive politician who opposed racial and religious discrimination, became its first Prime Minister. In his inaugural speech to the local parliament, he proposed an extensive railway network to connect the Cape Colony’s main ports with its interior regions and, most importantly, key diamond deposits (following the previous year's diamond rush in Kimberley). He also announced plans to acquire all existing lines and establish the Cape Government Railway.
The Cape Government Railway logo at Cape Town Central Station. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
At Molteno’s suggestion, a 3-foot-6-inch (1,067 mm) gauge, later known as the “Cape gauge”, was adopted for new railways, and all existing branches were soon converted to this narrow gauge. In July 1873, a separate railway department led by W.D. Brownger was formed. In 1872, the “Western” (drafted by Molteno's own hand) and “Median” lines were established, followed by the “Eastern” line in 1873.
In 1885, the network sections were connected and the “Western” Line reached Kimberley, completing the ambitious construction project as initially planned. In 1872, the total length of railways in the Cape Colony was 92 km; it has since expanded to over 2,000 km. In 1885, the company owned 231 locomotives, 399 passenger and 3,503 freight cars.
The Port Elizabeth–Uitenhagen Railway, a part of the "Median Line", 1882 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Extensive railway construction started in the British colony of Natal on January 1, 1876. The railway connecting Durban to Pietermaritzburg, Natal's capital, was completed and operational by December 1, 1880, spanning 113 km.
Pietermaritzburg railway station (Source: J. Forsyth Ingram, The Story of an African City, Maritzburg: C. Coester, 1898)
Gold was discovered in 1886 in the Republic of South Africa (then - Transvaal), an independent Boer state established in 1852, sparking the Witwatersrand gold rush. The Cape Province and Orange Free State (OFS), situated between South Africa and the Cape Province, agreed that the Cape State Railway would construct and operate a railway line through OFS to the rapidly growing city of Johannesburg. The line reached Bloemfontein, South Africa's capital, in 1890, and two years later, the first trains began operating from Cape Town to Johannesburg. In 1897, the South African government took control of a section of the line within its territory.
Johannesburg Park Station on the Rand Railway line linking Johannesburg and Boksburg, 1897 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Amidst this, on June 21, 1887, the Netherlands-South African Railway Company (NZASM) was established in Amsterdam, supported financially by Dutch, German, and Boer investors. A gauge of 1,067 mm was selected based on the Cape Railway's example. NZASM constructed a line linking Pretoria and Johannesburg, completed in 1891, as well as the 562 km Pretoria–Lorenzo Marques interstate railway - now Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, opened on November 6, 1894.
On February 19, 1896, a tragic incident occurred at Braamfontein station in Johannesburg when a shunting locomotive collided with a train carrying dynamite for nearby gold mines. The resulting explosion became one of the largest non-nuclear blasts in history, killing at least 75 people and injuring over 300, while estimates suggest that between 1,500 and 3,000 houses were destroyed. The explosion could be heard from as far as 200 km away.
A 60 m by 50 m crater from a dynamite explosion at Braamfontein station on February 19, 1896 (Source: Wikimedia Commons. From the collection of photographs of the South African Museum in Amsterdam. Digitized in 2007.)
By 1899, NZASM operated 1,147 kilometers of railway track. Soon after the onset of the Second Boer War (1899-1902), the South African government asserted its rights and took control of the company. Near the war's end, Britain took military control of the company and the Orange Free State Railway Company (OVSM), later annexing both Boer states in 1904. The NZASM and OVSM were merged into the Central South African Railways.
After its formation in 1910, the South Africa Union (SAU), a British Empire dominion made up of the Cape Colony, Natal, the Orange River Colony, and Transvaal, transferred its railway lines to the state-owned South African Railways (SAR). The new railway administration took over a vast network of 12,367 km, including 972 km that were previously privately owned. Railway infrastructure modernization began.
The Rovos Rail railway line in Pretoria. Photo: TASS
During the First World War, SAU railroad workers were instrumental in capturing German South-West Africa, by going beyond simply repairing tracks damaged by retreating German forces. The 490 km link between Priska and Kalkfontein Sud (now Karasburg) was constructed in just 180 days at an unprecedented pace of nearly three kilometers per day, entering service on June 25, 1915. On April 1, 1922, South-West Africa's railway system, comprising 3,100 km of lines, was annexed to the SAR and operated as part of it until 1985, when control over it was transferred to Namibia.
In 1925, the opening of the first electrified railway section (3,000 V DC) between Mooie River and Glencoe marked a new era in South African transport. Soon, the SAU recognized the benefits of electric traction in mountainous regions. 
Th 1ES electric locomotive (formerly 1E Class) No. E145, built in 1938. Cape Town, 1975. Locomotives of this series had served the first electrified line in South Africa since 1925. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
The first electric-powered commuter service in the SAU was organized on September 25, 1927 from Monument Station in Cape Town to Sea Point. The electrification of the new main line section from Pietermaritzburg to Durban via Delville Wood was completed in 1936, with the first electric passenger train arriving at Durban station on December 2. The electrification in the Golden Reef area began in 1937 on the Germiston-Wattles-Alberton section and extended in 1938 to the Randfontein-Springs and Germiston-Pretoria routes.
Focus was placed on both railway modernization and new construction. In the two decades since its establishment, SAR had constructed numerous railway branches primarily to support the agricultural sector. By late 1930, the total length of state railways had reached 18,640 km. However, during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the commissioning of new lines significantly declined.
A steam locomotive pulls a passenger train in Svartland. Photo: 123-RF / LegionMedia
World War II marked another pivotal moment for SAU's railway development. The railway faced a staff shortage as over 14,000 workers were mobilized. Meanwhile, the construction of paved roads, now competing with rail transport, became a new priority.
Even so, the war transformed South Africa into an exporting nation, leading to a remarkable surge in mineral exports after 1946. SAR initiated a major modernization program for the main coastal lines to accommodate longer and heavier trains.
A tourist train on the Rovos Rail line from Pretoria to Victoria Falls. Photo by TASS
As the main lines were gradually electrified, a decision was made to replace steam traction with diesel locomotives on the remaining sections. As early as 1939, the country acquired three German-made diesel locomotives, which were used primarily on sidings and for shunting operations.
Between 1958 and 1960, during the introduction of diesel traction in South-West Africa, all narrow-gauge railways (600 mm) built under German rule, totaling 568 km, were converted to a gauge of 1,067 mm.
A 1958 General Electric diesel-electric locomotive, designated No. 31-005 (D704) by SAR. Later acquired by Sheltam and renumbered. May 19, 2010 (Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo by Chris van Wyk)
Union Carriage and Wagon Co. was established in 1957 to lessen South Africa's reliance on foreign rolling stock suppliers. In 1961, the SAU withdrew from the British-led Commonwealth and became the Republic of South Africa. The withdrawal stemmed from the Commonwealth's rejection of South Africa's apartheid policy.
The 1960s witnessed further electrification and the shift to diesel traction on railway lines. By the start of the next decade, steam locomotives were found only on inactive lines. The 1973 oil crisis accelerated railway electrification, resulting in a total of 6,893 km of electrified sections by 1979.
A railway line running along the ocean coast in Cape Town. Photo:123 RF / LegionMedia
A 515 km coal shipment railway from Broodsnersplaas to Richards Bay opened on April 1, 1976. The Orex line, privately constructed by Iscor and inaugurated that same year, was transferred to SAR for management on April 1, 1977. These two busy lines were set to become key revenue sources for South African railways.
A key event of the 1970s was setting the world speed record on the Cape gauge, set on October 31, 1978, by a train with an El525 Class 6E1 electric locomotive, equipped with a nose cone, high-speed trolleys, and a pantograph, along with a standard commuter car. The test train reached 245 km/h between Westonaria and the Bank.
Electric locomotive No. E1525 on the day of high-speed tests (Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo credit: Philmar du Plessis)
Metroblitz, the high-speed train service, was launched between Johannesburg and Pretoria on January 16, 1984, following successful tests. The travel time between the two largest centers was now 42 minutes at a maximum train speed of 160 km/h.
The railway network continued to expand. For instance, in 1986, a 119 km line from Komatiport to Mpaka station in Swaziland (now Eswatini) offered a shorter route from Eastern Transvaal (now Mpumalanga Province) to Richards Bay. Additionally, the completion of a new railway line between De Durns and Kleinstraat on the Main Cape Highway in 1989 removed the limitations posed by sharp curves and a 40-degree slope that had hindered northbound traffic at the Hex River Pass.
The legendary 'Blue Train' express is passing through the Waterval-Boven – Waterval-Onder section in Mpumalanga Province (Source: www.nbcnews.com).
In 1989, South Africa actively began pursuing political reforms to end apartheid and implement economic changes. On April 1, 1990, the state-owned Transnet Limited was established. Transnet's main divisions included Spoornet (railways); Port Net (ports); Autonet (road transport) and Petronet (pipelines). A new corporate color scheme for railway rolling stock was introduced, incorporating orange, blue, and white elements.
With the lifting of legislative restrictions on road transport, railways encountered considerable competition. Consequently, no new locomotives were ordered for years, and unprofitable lines were closed, resulting in the cessation of railway services to many areas.
The interior of a Rovos Rail tourist train en route from Pretoria to Victoria Falls. Photo: TASS.
Spoornet's commuter assets were transferred to the South African Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC), with Metrorail, a division of Spoornet, contracted to provide these services. Since January 1, 1997, Metrorail has operated as an independent business, transporting up to 2 million passengers daily. Freight services are handled by Transnet Freight Rail.
The 80 km Gautrain high-speed rail system, linking Johannesburg, Pretoria, Kempton Park, and O.R. Tambo International Airport, is a commendable project commissioned between 2010 and 2012, with trains reaching speeds of up to 160 km/h. Gautrain lines use 25 kV alternating current (50 Hz) and have a track gauge of 1,435 mm. After 130 years, standard-gauge rail has returned to South Africa.
The 80 km Gautrain high-speed rail system, linking Johannesburg, Pretoria, Kempton Park, and O.R. Tambo International Airport, is a commendable project commissioned between 2010 and 2012, with trains reaching speeds of up to 160 km/h. Gautrain lines use 25 kV alternating current (50 Hz) and have a track gauge of 1,435 mm. After 130 years, standard-gauge rail has returned to South Africa.
Bombardier Electrostar electric train at O.R. Tambo Airport (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
High-speed rail may eventually be launched in the Republi of South Africa. The first HSR line is expected to connect Johannesburg and Durban.The Republic of South Africa
- The area is 1.2 million km2.
- As of early 2023, the railway network spanned 21,000 km.
- The length of electrified railway lines totals 8.1 thousand km.
A commuter passenger train on the Johannesburg - Naledi line. The line, constructed in 2023, runs through a Soweto slum. Photo: TASS
Promising transport initiatives in South Africa.- Construction of the 600-kilometer Johannesburg-Durban high-speed railway. Investment volume totals $30 billionA joint project of 1520International and the Institute of Economics and Transport Development (IETD)
- Construction of a 1,300 km high-speed railway between Johannesburg and Cape Town,
- and a 500 km high-speed railway between Johannesburg and Musina. The volume of investments – $ 20 billion
- Development of capacities in the new Port of Ngkura up to 20 million TEU per year by 2034.
- Construction of the 100 km Lothaire (South Africa) — Sidwokodwo (Eswatini) railway line. The volume of investments – $ 1.2 billion
- Construction of the 100 km Lephalale (South Africa) - Mahalapye (Botswana) railway line. The volume of investments is 2.5 billion dollars.
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