The City of Cape Town has approved a Rail Business Plan for devolving operation of the city's Metrorail services from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to the municipality. The City will now submit a memorandum to the National Department of Transport (NDoT) requesting that rail services be devolved. According to mayco member for urban mobility Rob Quintas, devolution will only be possible with funding from National Treasury, which he says must take the form of a multi-year funding agreement. The City's long-term mobility plan envisages devolution being completed by 2028, but Quintas says the timeline "will ultimately be determined by the national government" and is outside the City's control. The plan also proposes development of a rail link to Blue Downs, with the possibility of further expansion. In 2023, the City threatened PRASA with an intergovernmental dispute after failed attempts to establish a working committee on rail devolution. In October 2024, the City said the process had been delayed several times by the national government. A Service Level Plan between PRASA and the City was then signed in February 2025. Calls for devolution follow many years of deteriorating passenger rail services, culminating in a near-total collapse in 2021. Council approves business plan but devolution of rail will depend on funding from the Treasury Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines

South Africa: City of Cape Town Is a Step Closer to Operating Train Services

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 120 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. 16 December 2025 GroundUp (Cape Town) Tagged: South Africa Southern Africa Business Transport Tagged: South Africa Southern Africa Business Transport Tagged: South Africa Southern Africa Business Transport Earlier this year, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said the recovery of the Central Line -- Cape Town's "most important rail corridor" -- had cost about R1.3-billion. Quintas said devolving Metrorail would benefit "lower-income households who travel long distances from their homes, work and school". Council approves business plan but devolution of rail will depend on funding from the Treasury The City of Cape Town has approved a Rail Business Plan for devolving operation of the city's Metrorail services from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to the municipality. The City will now submit a memorandum to the National Department of Transport (NDoT) requesting that rail services be devolved. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines According to mayco member for urban mobility Rob Quintas, devolution will only be possible with funding from National Treasury, which he says must take the form of a multi-year funding agreement. The City's long-term mobility plan envisages devolution being completed by 2028, but Quintas says the timeline "will ultimately be determined by the national government" and is outside the City's control. The plan also proposes development of a rail link to Blue Downs, with the possibility of further expansion. In 2023, the City threatened PRASA with an intergovernmental dispute after failed attempts to establish a working committee on rail devolution. In October 2024, the City said the process had been delayed several times by the national government. A Service Level Plan between PRASA and the City was then signed in February 2025. Calls for devolution follow many years of deteriorating passenger rail services, culminating in a near-total collapse in 2021. Earlier this year, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said the recovery of the Central Line -- Cape Town's "most important rail corridor" -- had cost about R1.3-billion. Quintas said devolving Metrorail would benefit "lower-income households who travel long distances from their homes, work and school". Read the original article on GroundUp.