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Private company

Metrorail

Logo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

South African commuter rail service operator

Metrorail is the South African operator of commuter rail services. The company operates an extensive network in the major metros of South Africa. It is a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), a state-owned enterprise responsible for most passenger rail services in South Africa.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

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Kalk Bay Station 3
Photo: Self, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons5

Metrorail is the South African operator of commuter rail services. The company operates an extensive network in the major metros of South Africa. It is a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), a state-owned enterprise responsible for most passenger rail services in South Africa.2

Corporate structure

Metrorail is part of a group headed by Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa. 3 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa Johannesburg
    • Metrorail
    • Shosholoza Meyl Subsidiary · Braamfontein
    • Bellville railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Claremont railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Crawford railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Diep River railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • False Bay railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Glencairn railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Harfield Road railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Heathfield railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Johannesburg Park Station Owned · Johannesburg, South Africa
    • Kenilworth railway station Owned · Wynberg, South Africa
    • Lakeside railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Mowbray railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Newlands railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Observatory railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Plumstead railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Retreat railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Rondebosch railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Salt River railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Simon's Town railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • St James railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Steenberg railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Steurhof railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • Sunny Cove railway station Owned · City of Cape Town, South Africa
    • and 2 more

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

Metrorail was formed in 1996 as a business unit of Transnet, a major South African state-owned enterprise operating in the rail, port, pipeline, and logistics sectors.

In the early-1990s, Metrorail was placed under Spoornet, another business unit of Transnet. On 1 January 1997, Metrorail became an independent business within Transnet, and the four present-day Metrorail regional hubs were formed.

In 2006, Metrorail was transferred back into the SARCC, which in 2008, became the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).

In October 2025, after years of low ridership, PRASA reported that Metrorail had achieved an annual ridership for its 2025 financial year of 77 million passengers. This constituted a significant 670% improvement over the preceding five years. PRASA also reported a 91% on-time performance, with service cancellations at just 3%. At the time of the announcement, 35 of Metrorail's 40 lines were in operation (87.5%), and 28 of them (70%) were fully operational. PRASA celebrated restoring passenger confidence in the Metrorail system, with its CEO, Hishaam Emeran, stating that the company had exceeded its promises, and built the foundation for a modern, reliable railway system that its commuters deserved.

From Wikipedia’s article on Metrorail (South Africa), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

Because Metrorail operates services in several separate cities, for operational purposes it is subdivided into four regions.

Eastern Cape region (Gqeberha hub)

This region operates two separate lines in the Eastern Cape: one running from East London to Berlin, and one from Gqeberha to Uitenhage. Plans are in the pipeline to connect the service to Coega.

Gauteng (Johannesburg hub)

Read the full text

Previously there were two regions: Witwatersrand in the south and Tshwane in the north.

The southern area covers the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area (also known as the Witwatersrand). Trains run from Johannesburg and Germiston outwards to Springs, Pretoria, Soweto and Randfontein via Krugersdorp.

The northern part covers Pretoria and surrounding suburbs. Trains run from Pretoria station outwards to the various suburbs of the city, as well as southwards to Johannesburg via Kempton Park and Germiston stations (in the Witwatersrand region).

KwaZulu-Natal region (Durban hub)

This region covers Durban and the surrounding suburbs and towns. Trains run from Durban station outwards as far as Stanger on the north coast, Kelso on the south coast, and Cato Ridge inland.

Western Cape region (Cape Town hub)

This region covers the Cape Town metropolitan area and surrounding towns. Trains run from Cape Town railway station southwards to Simon's Town, southeast to Mitchell's Plain and Khayelitsha, and eastwards through Bellville to Strand, Stellenbosch and Wellington; occasional services run to Malmesbury and Worcester.

From Wikipedia’s article on Metrorail (South Africa), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

From Wikidata.1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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