In 2020, Johannesburg's train network—South Africa's largest—carried just 2 million passengers. Vandalism had stripped over 1,000 kilometers of copper cable. Stations stood abandoned. Security was absent. The network that once moved 200 million trips annually had collapsed by 99%.By 2025, that same network moved 20 million passengers across 26 restored corridors, achieving 91% on-time performance. This is the story of Gauteng's rail recovery—the largest, most complex commuter rail network in Southern Africa, serving Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Ekurhuleni.This is Part 1 of a four-part series profiling PRASA's rail networks across South Africa's major metros: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, and Western Cape. Each region faces different challenges. Each recovery looks different. But together, they tell the story of whether South Africa can rebuild critical public infrastructure.🚂 KEY STATISTICS:• 20 million passenger trips in 2024/25 (up from 2 million in 2020/21)• 26 of 34 corridors now operational• 91% on-time performance• 77% of trains arrive within 5 minutes of schedule• R24 average train fare vs R50+ taxi fare• 471 kilometers of operational track• 115 operational stations📊 THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER:This video breaks down exactly what recovery looks like in data terms—passenger growth, corridor restoration, on-time performance, safety improvements, and the affordability gap that makes rail essential for working South Africans.🎯 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:• Why Gauteng's rail network collapsed between 2016-2020• How Covid-19 lockdowns enabled systematic infrastructure theft• The corridor-by-corridor recovery strategy from 2021-2025• Why some lines recovered faster than others• Real commuter stories: the R26-per-day difference that matters• What 91% on-time performance actually means operationally• The security strategy that reduced incidents from 3,387 to under 900• Why recovery isn't the same as restoration to historical levels⚠️ THE HONEST ASSESSMENT:20 million trips sounds impressive until you remember this network once moved 200 million trips annually. Recovery is real, but Gauteng is still operating at roughly 10% of historical capacity. This video doesn't sugarcoat—it presents both the genuine progress and the immense distance still to travel.🗺️ COMING NEXT IN THE SERIES:Part 2: KwaZulu-Natal - Floods, Bridges, and the Durban CorridorPart 3: Eastern Cape - The Province Where Trains Simply Disappeared Part 4: Western Cape - Where Recovery Faces Its Toughest Test
