Johannesburg-Durban High Speed Rail

In April 2010, the South African Minister of Transport proposed a Johannesburg–Durban high-speed rail system.[1] There are concerns about the cost and engineering difficulty of the project,[2] which would have to cross the Drakensberg mountains.[3] The project is expected to cost U$30 billion,[4] but there are hopes that alternative funding sources will be available.[5] China Railway Group says it is in talks with the South African government for construction contracts.[6] In August of 2021, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced that a feasibility study had begun into the transport corridor,[7] with President Cyril Ramaphosa 's cabinet approving the framework for implementing the project in November 2023, highlighting the Johannesburg-Durban corridor as its main priority.[8]

  1. ^ "Ndebele moots high-speed Joburg-Durban railway link". BusinessDay. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  2. ^ "Durban-Gauteng Rail Corridor-This one won't fly". Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  3. ^ "South Africa to study HS demand - International Railway Journal". 28 September 2010. Archived from the original on 30 September 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  4. ^ "Home Page | Futures".
  5. ^ "Railway Gazette: Ambitious plans will still need funding". Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  6. ^ "China Day Ahead: Airplane Crash in Northeast, Ping An Insurance Earnings - Bloomberg". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  7. ^ "China signals warmth to South African high-speed railway - Global Construction Review". Global Construction Review. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Progress being made with high-speed trains and smart city, says Ramaphosa - Business Day". Business Day. Retrieved 4 January 2024.