What Killed South Africa's Railways?
Asher Pardey
134,203 views
South Africa once had one of the largest and most sophisticated railway networks in the Southern Hemisphere. So what happened to South African railways? How did thousands of kilometres of railway lines become abandoned, while freight moved from trains to thousands of trucks on the N1, N3 and other major highways? In this video, we investigate the collapse of South Africa's railway system, from the policy changes and transport deregulation that opened the door to road freight, to the decline of branch lines, the restructuring of South African Transport Services, and the separation of Transnet and PRASA. But the story doesn't end there. We look at the loss of railway police, declining maintenance, skills shortages, political instability, corruption, State Capture and the controversial Transnet locomotive procurement scandal. We look at Brian Molefe, Lucky Montana, Zuma and the Guptas! We also explore how organised criminals began stripping South Africa's railway infrastructure for copper, signalling equipment, overhead wires, substations and even the rails themselves. With passenger trains stopped and large parts of the railway network left unprotected, hundreds of kilometres of infrastructure were stripped. Entire railway corridors were destroyed, turning once-functional railways into abandoned railway lines that could cost billions to rebuild. The collapse of freight rail has pushed more cargo onto South Africa's roads, contributing to enormous truck volumes on roads, congestion around major ports, higher logistics costs and increasing pressure on infrastructure. So was the destruction of South Africa's railway network inevitable? Or could these railways still be brought back?
This is Part 2 of my series exploring the history, collapse and possible future of South African railways. In the next episode, we'll look at whether South Africa can actually FIX its railways.
WATCH PART 1: South Africa Once Had One of the World's L...
If you're interested in South African history, transport infrastructure, railways, Transnet, PRASA, freight rail, urban transport, abandoned places, engineering and the future of South African cities, subscribe for more.
#SouthAfrica #SouthAfricanRailways #Railways #Transnet #PRASA #FreightRail #RailInfrastructure #SouthAfricanHistory #Transport #Infrastructure #Railway
Support my channel by becoming a member or buying me coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/asherpardey
If you’re a brand or business looking to collaborate, please reach out: business@asherpardey.com
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20 Comments
My grandparents took the train to Joburg in the 1990's and I would like to experience this someday if possible.
Whoever thought that would make a difference!
What Killed South Africa's Railways?
Asher Pardey
134,203 views
South Africa once had one of the largest and most sophisticated railway networks in the Southern Hemisphere. So what happened to South African railways? How did thousands of kilometres of railway lines become abandoned, while freight moved from trains to thousands of trucks on the N1, N3 and other major highways? In this video, we investigate the collapse of South Africa's railway system, from the policy changes and transport deregulation that opened the door to road freight, to the decline of branch lines, the restructuring of South African Transport Services, and the separation of Transnet and PRASA. But the story doesn't end there. We look at the loss of railway police, declining maintenance, skills shortages, political instability, corruption, State Capture and the controversial Transnet locomotive procurement scandal. We look at Brian Molefe, Lucky Montana, Zuma and the Guptas! We also explore how organised criminals began stripping South Africa's railway infrastructure for copper, signalling equipment, overhead wires, substations and even the rails themselves. With passenger trains stopped and large parts of the railway network left unprotected, hundreds of kilometres of infrastructure were stripped. Entire railway corridors were destroyed, turning once-functional railways into abandoned railway lines that could cost billions to rebuild. The collapse of freight rail has pushed more cargo onto South Africa's roads, contributing to enormous truck volumes on roads, congestion around major ports, higher logistics costs and increasing pressure on infrastructure. So was the destruction of South Africa's railway network inevitable? Or could these railways still be brought back?
This is Part 2 of my series exploring the history, collapse and possible future of South African railways. In the next episode, we'll look at whether South Africa can actually FIX its railways.
WATCH PART 1: South Africa Once Had One of the World's L...
If you're interested in South African history, transport infrastructure, railways, Transnet, PRASA, freight rail, urban transport, abandoned places, engineering and the future of South African cities, subscribe for more.
#SouthAfrica #SouthAfricanRailways #Railways #Transnet #PRASA #FreightRail #RailInfrastructure #SouthAfricanHistory #Transport #Infrastructure #Railway
Support my channel by becoming a member or buying me coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/asherpardey
If you’re a brand or business looking to collaborate, please reach out: business@asherpardey.com
Follow me on Instagram: Instagram: AsherPardey