Built ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the 80km network now serves around 10 stations and was designed to ease chronic road congestion between South Africa's economic and political capitals. It cuts a Johannesburg-to-Pretoria trip that can take well over an hour by car down to around half an hour, and by its tenth anniversary it had carried well over 100 million passenger trips.
Source: Gautrain Management Agency
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Gautrain project come about?
Gauteng's provincial government commissioned the rail link in the mid-2000s to relieve worsening highway congestion between Johannesburg and Pretoria, timing the first phase to open in June 2010 in time for international visitors arriving for the FIFA World Cup.
Why was building a rapid rail system in Gauteng such a big undertaking?
Much of the route crosses sinkhole-prone dolomite ground near Pretoria, so engineers had to design and test the tunnels and track bed carefully to prevent ground collapse — a major technical challenge on top of the usual costs of large-scale rail construction.
How does the Gautrain affect commuters today?
It offers a faster, more predictable alternative to Gauteng's congested highways for tens of thousands of daily riders, and it remains one of the few large-scale modern public transit systems on the African continent outside North Africa.