Discover the Gautrain, South Africa’s High-Speed Rail Marvel

Ever heard of Gautrain in South Africa? Maybe not. It’s one of the most amazing gifts by the government to commuters in Gauteng, Johannesburg and Pretoria. This high-speed rail was commissioned for operation in 2010 to ease traffic in these major cities and surrounding areas. It connects Johannesburg to other major cities and locations. Although peak hours across major Mzansi cities still experience nasty moments in traffic snarl-ups, those who choose the rail are always on time.

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Why is the Gautrain Famous?

The Gautrain is popular for being the premier rapid transit railway transport system with an integrated bus transit system in South Africa boasting efficiency and reliability. Started in 2010, this 80km rail system links major economic centres in Gauteng Province such as Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ekurhuleni and O.R Tambo International Airport Station (O.R). It’s high- speed rail is famous for the convenience it gives commuters moving to and from Johannesburg to Pretoria or Gauteng.

Moreover, Gautrain has a reputation for being on time, clean, and with added security systems to meet the needs of the daily commuters and tourists. It shortens the time between major centres. For instance, getting from the Oliver Tambo International Airport to Sandton takes 15 minutes at most. Other transport structures you find with this South African high-speed rail include the following:

Wi-Fi
Air conditioning
Comfort seats
Surveillance cameras

High-speed South African commuter rail, the Gautrain. Photo/Wikipedia

Which Cities Does Gautrain Operate?

Gautrain operates across the following popular places in South Africa.

Johannesburg
Gauteng
Midrand
Pretoria
O.R Tambo International Airport
Sandton

The entire rail system covers 80 kilometres, end-to-end. While rail is the most known among travellers, the system includes a complementary bus service. Buses provide a connection to all the 10 train stations along the network. Passengers conveniently and seamlessly catch their train rides from different destinations.

Gautrain Schedule

The Gautrain maintains a seamless schedule of operations. Here’s a general overview of the schedule:

Weekdays

First Train: Serves Park Station in Johannesburg and leaves at about 0514 hrs.

Last Train: Leaves at around 2130 hrs from Park Station.

Frequency: Services are frequently running for 12 to 15 minutes during peak time. This is from 0600 hrs to 0900 hrs and from 1700 hrs to 2000 hrs and every 30 minutes during off-peak hours

Weekends

First Train: This train departs Park Station at around 0530 hrs.

Last Train: The train departs at about 2100 hrs from Park Station.

Frequency: Schedules for trains are after every 30 minutes.

Public Holidays

As with the weekends, trains arrive every 30 minutes from 0530 hrs to 2100 hrs.

Here’s a summary of the train schedule.

Day	First train ride	Frequency between rides	Last ride
Weekday	0514 hrs	15 minutes (peak) 30 minutes (off-peak)	2000 hrs
Weekend	0530 hrs	30 minutes	2100 hrs
Public holiday	0530 hrs	30 minutes	2100 hrs

All train rides arrive or depart from 10 major stations along the route. They include the following:

Park Station (Johannesburg)
Sandton Station
Midrand Station
Rosebank Station (Johannesburg)
Centurion Station
Hatfield Station
Pretoria Station
Marlboro Station
Rhodesfield Station
OR Tambo International Airport Station

The Gautrain at Park Station in Johannesburg. Photo/Good Things Guy

What is the Gautrain Speed?

The Gautrain has received much attention for its high-speed speeds that are up to 160 km/h (99 mph) on the principal routes. This quick transportation relieves traffic congestion and allows shorter time travelling time between major centres like Johannesburg, Pretoria, and O.R Tambo International Airport among others. For example, it takes only 15 min from Sandton Station to O. R Tambo International Airport Station and 35 minutes from Pretoria Station to Johannesburg Park Station.

This high-speed service is a crucial part of Gauteng’s transport system which operates to reduce traffic congestion and encourage efficient urban mobility.

Gautrain Routes and Prices

Johannesburg-Pretoria-Midrand-O.R Tambo is the main Gautrain route. Ticket prices come in different packages and costs depending on your station of choice. Expect to pay the following on the minimum:

Peak single trip ticket – R36 – R106 ($1.90 – $5.59)

Off-peak single trip ticket – R29 – R85 ($1.53 – $4.48)

Return trip ticket product – R74 – R248 ($3.90 – $13.08)

Weekly trip product (10 trips per week) – R333 – R981 ($17.57 – $51.76)

44 trips per month – R1,347 – R3,965 ($71.11 – $209.32)