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Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................1

Main Body...................................................................................................................................................2

Task 2..........................................................................................................................................................4

The importance of the railway project in the Oman economy?................................................................4

What is the importance of the railway project in improving the public transport system?.......................5

What is the importance of the railway project in improving the public transport system?.......................6

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................10

References.................................................................................................................................................11

List of Table

Table 1 mode of transport prefers by public................................................................................................7

Table 2 Use of public transport responds.....................................................................................................7
Table 3 Respondent past public transport use..............................................................................................7
Table 4 Public transport service used..........................................................................................................7
Table 5 Public transport improving suggestion..........................................................................................8
Table 6 fixed operating cost estimate..........................................................................................................9
Table 7 Operating cost...............................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
This report discusses the South Africa railway transport system. South Africa's Rail transport
have important role transportation infrastructure. South Africa main cities are connected by rail
and consider as one of the advanced means of transportation in Africa [1]. Government is
responsible to maintain and operate rail transport. In the early days of European colonization,
railway expansion in South Africa was critical. This sort of growth, however, did not halt when
the country began its journey to independence in 1910, culminating in the foundation of a
republic in 1961. The railway system was expanded as a result of factors such as the discovery of
more minerals, rapid industrialization after 1910, followed by agricultural development after
1945, the influx of new settlers, urbanization, the creation of Africa's largest energy-generating
infrastructure (coal-based), tourism development, and others. Unlike any other country,
apartheid's goal of splitting and segregating the population aided railway growth, which was
designed to move large groups of people over long distances between their homes and
workplaces [1]. In 1859, a tiny engine powered the first railway from Cape Town to Wellington.
On June 26, 1860, the Natal Railway Company established a tiny line of roughly 3.2 kilometer (2
miles) connecting Durban and Harbor Point, which was the first passenger carrying service [2].
In 1859, Cape Town began construction of a 72-kilometer (45-mile) railway between Cape Town
and Wellington, with a track gauge of standard gauge, but was delayed and commence passenger
service on the first portion of the line to the Eerste River on February 13, 1862 [3].

In South Africa, nearly all railways utilize a 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Cape gauge track [4]. This was
chosen in the nineteenth century to lower the cost of creating a route over and through the
country's highlands [5]. The Gautrain rapid transit railway has a track width of 1,435 mm (4 ft
8+12 in) (standard gauge). During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a large number of 2-foot
narrow gauge railways were built.

In South Africa, between 50 and 80 percent of rail lines are electrified [5]. Different voltages are
utilized for various train types. Most electrified trains use 3000 V DC (overhead) power, which
has been in use since the 1920s and is mostly used on commuter routes. The information and
data are collected from different research paper. Electrified trains are of 50kV AC (861km),25kV
AC (2 309km) and 3kV DC (4 935km) [8].

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Main Body
In south Africa the three mode of public transport is which are used frequently are as follows:
The traditional commuter rail system and the new Gautrain high-speed rail between
Johannesburg, Tshwane (Pretoria), and the Oliver Tambo International Airport; The subsidized
and unsubsidized commuter bus industry, including the two-bus rapid (BRT) system in
Johannesburg and Cape Town; And the last one a growing 16-seater minibus-taxi industry in
South Africa.

Trains are frequently overcrowded and poorly policed. The main issue, though, is that Metrorail
trains have always been plagued by a lack of schedule organization. Low-capacity vehicles (16-
seater mini-bus taxis) are widespread, providing a complete trip service from home to home or
any other places in a city and have high flexibility to many passengers [6].

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Figure 1 South Africa Railway network

In South Africa, nearly all railways utilise a 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Cape gauge track [7] This was
chosen in the nineteenth century to lower the cost of creating a rail track over and through the
country's highlands and mountainous region [7]. The Gautrain rapid transit railway has a track
width of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) (standard gauge).

The railway track length of 22,387km or 30,400km made South Africa world eight biggest rail
network. This rail network has been divided into national network of 12,801km, 7,278km of
branch lines and 2,228 km of narrow-gauge urban network and also 80 km of standard gauge
1435mm regional rapid transit system. Based on types of operating source, 10413km rail system
is electricity based which form 45.16% of the total rail track length available.

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Transnet owns and runs the continent's largest rail network. Transnet operates 40 percent of the
operating network and 70% of the traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa's 55 000 km of track. Southern
Africa accounts for over 74% of sub-Saharan freight traffic and more than 80% of total net ton-
kilometres.

Transnet's role as South Africa's freight rail operator is to reduce the cost of conducting business
by providing an efficient transport service. However, the rail network confronts stiff competition
from the road network, which has resulted in significant tonnage losses. Due to a continual effort
on providing capacity and a more efficient and cost-effective service, tonnages have begun to
move back to rail in recent years [8].

Metrorail began as a Transnet business unit in 1996 and was eventually sold to the South African
Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC). The Metrorail system has 471 stations and a total track
length of 2,228 kilometres (1,384 miles), with an average of 1.7 million passengers every daily.
The Metrorail system is a countrywide system with 478 stations [9].

Luanda is Angola's industrial, political, and cultural capital. Luanda now has two major types of
urban rail transit. Currently, frequent commuter train serves a portion of Luanda's eastern
suburbs, which operates along existing rail infrastructure [10]. Because most of the network was
severely damaged during the Angolan Civil War, service isn't as comprehensive as it might be,
but a Chinese company has been hired to undertake railway repairs. The city of Luanda is
planning a light-rail system, which has just recently passed feasibility assessments [10]. The
Maputo Corridor, which runs west to east from Pretoria to Maputo, is the busiest internal
province Transnet Freight Rail route [11].

On four major arterial lines in Mpumalanga, almost 100 million tons of general freight cargo
were moved by rail. The gauge use in south Africa is standard gauge and the type of sleeper are
concrete, steel and timber [12]. The freight rail are mostly in deserts with high operating and
maintenance cost. The intercity rail in some region is desert types while some passes through
settle area.

The Eswatini Train Link (ESRL) project, also known as the Swaziland Rail Link or Swazilink, is
a proposed rail line that would connect South Africa with Eswatini (formerly known as
Swaziland).

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ESRL is a strategic inter-railway partnership between Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and Eswatini
Railways in South Africa (ESR).

The $1.34 billion project would build a new dedicated general freight business (GFB) corridor
that will redirect general freight traffic away from TRF's export coal line from Mpumalanga to
the Port of Richards Bay. It will free up capacity on the export coal line, the eastern mainline,
and the north-south corridor, among other things. The general freight cargo will be conveyed to
the Port of Richards Bay through Eswatini [13].

Task 2

The importance of the railway project in the Oman economy?

The ambitious National Railway Project intends to provide prospects for the establishment of
new businesses and services that will boost GDP and create skilled jobs. The railway will boost
commercial activity in the Sultanate by reducing traffic congestion in Muscat and lowering
transportation expenses; it will also make freight movement easier and passenger transit more
efficient.

The project's economic impact will be enormous. The railway will provide several job and
business prospects. According to the Oman Observer, this important project would need an
estimated 12,000 kilometer of rail, as well as a rail manufacturing factory that is viewed as a
feasible choice for producing high-quality rails.

The addition of an estimated 10.2 million concrete sleepers for the network might result in the
establishment of up to five production factories at strategic points along the alignment, with a
medium-sized facility generating roughly 300,000 sleepers each year.

The project will include a 2,244-kilometer national railway network with segments running from
Sohar to the UAE border in Al Ain, Al Sunainah to Sinaw, Sinaw to Duqm, Duqm to Salalah,
Sohar to Muscat, Al Misfah to Sinaw, Sinaw to Ibra, Thamrait to Al Mazyouna, and Sohar to
Oman's border at Khatmat Milahah, where tracks will eventually be linked up

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What is the importance of the railway project in improving the public transport
system?
Answer:

"The railway service will be operated by diesel locomotives, serving both freight and passenger
traffic with a modern high standard infrastructure and system," said Roberto Liuzza, Project
Director at Italferr, in an interview with TBY. "The passenger trains' maximum speed will be 200
kilometer per hour, while freight trains will reach a peak of 120 kilometer per hour."

"The railway service will be operated by diesel locomotives, serving both freight and passenger
traffic with a modern high standard infrastructure and system," said Roberto Liuzza, Project
Director at Italferr, in an interview with TBY. "The passenger trains' maximum speed will be 200
kilometer per hour, while freight trains will reach a peak of 120 kilometer per hour."

Some key points which have impact on economy are listed below:

 Reforms to the way railways are organized and funded, such as greater governance and
increased competition, will result in better service at cheaper rates.
 Railways must be integrated into a country's transportation network. This frequently
necessitates both new terminal investments and a shift in how railways interact with
roadways, ports, and industries in general.
 The influence of rail on poverty is being studied. Transport ministries and urban planners can
make better policy and investment decisions if they have a greater knowledge of rail's ability
to alleviate poverty.

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What is the importance of the railway project in improving the public transport
system?
Answer:
Improvements in the transportation industry are particularly beneficial in creating additional jobs
for Omanis and improving the efficiency of the logistics system. Furthermore, when the
transportation infrastructure improves, the output capacity of enterprises will expand, and this
will lead to Oman's economic development. The use of railway facilities will help Oman increase
the efficiency of its transportation system in the future, which will benefit the country's economic
growth. Furthermore, the Sultanate's readiness to spend more in transportation infrastructure,
human resources, environmentally friendly transportation modes, and contemporary
transportation solutions can lead to a sustainable growing marketplace for the whole Sultanate
[14].
The use of railway facilities would help Oman increase the efficiency of its transportation system
in the future, which will help the country's economic growth. Furthermore, improving
sustainability is the greatest answer for improving the long-term viability of Oman's
transportation infrastructure. Oman's economic development will be aided by the policy of
improving transportation activity [15].
Using railway infrastructure will help Oman improve the efficiency of its transportation system
in the future, assisting the country's economic growth. Furthermore, boosting sustainability is the
most effective way to improve Oman's transportation infrastructure's long-term viability. The
policy of enhancing transportation activities will benefit Oman's economic growth[16].
According to the descriptive study of the respondents' activity, the bulk of them drive their own
automobiles to work and just a small percentage (17%) utilise public transportation.
Tables 1 and 2 together show that more people (15%) use public transportation for reasons other
than getting to work. It should be noted that the Al-Batinah region has limited access to buses or
microbuses, therefore public transportation mostly entails the usage of shared taxis [17].

Table 1 mode of transport prefers by public

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 Table 2 Use of public transport responds

The majority of respondents (67%) have used public transportation in the past, either in Oman or
abroad (Table 3). Their transportation options were primarily confined to shared cabs, buses, and
trains (Table 4)

Table 3 Respondent past public transport use

Table 4 Public transport service used

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Table 5 summarizes some of the most important comments obtained from key stakeholders
during interviews and panel discussions (Phase 3). Infrastructure, priorities, special provisions,
policy concerns, benchmarking and support, technological orientation, awareness and promotion,
operational elements, and ethics and behaviour were among the nine themes that emerged from
the synthesis data [17].

Table 5 Public transport improving suggestion

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The data shown are based on ATC (2006) recommendations, which have been updated to the
year 2007. The discount rate applied is 7%.
Annuity calculations are used to determine fixed expenses. All figures are expressed in
Australian dollars [17].

Table 6 fixed operating cost estimate

Table 7 Operating cost

Conclusion
South Africa's railway infrastructure is destined to thrive as a result of unprecedented investment
aimed at transforming the country into a worldwide freight powerhouse. The Market
Development Strategy, a seven-year R300 billion ($33.82 billion) investment scheme with a
defined strategy to revitalize the country's ports, rail, and pipeline infrastructure, was initially
unveiled in 2012 by Transnet, South Africa's state-owned ports and rail operator. Rail receives a

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significant amount of this investment. Transnet announced an R50 billion ($4.26 billion) deal
with four manufacturers in March 2014 to build a locomotive fleet of 1,064 locomotives. The
announcement signaled the commencement of the country's largest rail recapitalization program.

References
1. https://www.icomos.org/risk/2002/southafrica2002.htm
2. Talbot, F. A. (2012). Railway wonders of the world. BoD–Books on Demand.
3. Burman, J. (1984). Early railways at the Cape. Human & Rousseau.
4. Fraser, D., & Notteboom, T. (2012). Gateway and hinterland dynamics: The case of the Southern African
container seaport system. African journal of business management, 6(44), 10807-10825.
5. Spapens, T., & Duquet, N. (2022). Terrorists acquisition of firearms and explosives: criminal, legal and grey
sources. In The Nexus Between Organized Crime and Terrorism. Edward Elgar Publishing.
6. Aropet, R. (2017). Southern African solutions to public transport challenges. Southern African Transport
Conference.
7. Fraser, D., & Notteboom, T. (2012). Gateway and hinterland dynamics: The case of the Southern African
container seaport system. African journal of business management, 6(44), 10807-10825.
8. https://www.transnet.net/Pages/Home.aspx
9. http://www.metrorail.co.za/national_facts.html
10. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-11295533
11. South Africa’s busiest rail province,
https://www.globalafricanetwork.com/company-news/south-africas-busiest-rail
province/#:~:text=The%20busiest%20internal%20
provincial%20Transnet,east%20from%20Pretoria%20to%20Maputo.
12. http://www.safiri.co.za/mpfdb/rail-overview.html
13. https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/eswatini-rail-link-project-esrl
14. Al Mukhini, O. A., Balasa, A. P., & Al Maqbalia, S. I. (2021). The Sultanate of Oman City
Transportation in the Sharing Economy: Problems for Sustainable Development. European
Journal of Business and Management Research, 6(5), 26-38.

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15. Belwal, R., & Belwal, S. (2010). Public transportation services in Oman: A study of public
perceptions. Journal of Public Transportation, 13(4), 1.
16. Belwal, R. (2017). Public transportation in Oman: a strategic analysis. Advances in
Transportation Studies, 42.
17. Tirachini, A., Hensher, D. A., & Jara-Díaz, S. R. (2010). Comparing operator and users costs
of light rail, heavy rail and bus rapid transit over a radial public transport network. Research
in transportation economics, 29(1), 231-242.

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