New strategy to give policy direction to rail sector

A new national rail strategy, proposed to become legislation in 2018/2019, will give policy direction to the rail sector for the first time in 150 years, says Department of Transport deputy director-general rail Jan-David de Villiers. The policy – currently a Draft White Paper – comes as South Africa’s railways are no longer able to compete effectively against other transport modes in capturing their proper share of the national freight and passenger markets, he explains.