Pretoria: President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the Rail Safety Bill into law, ushering in a new era of enhanced regulation and safety standards for South Africa’s railway sector. The legislation underscores the critical importance of safe railway operations for protecting lives, safeguarding the environment, and promoting rail as an efficient mode of transportation.

According to South African Government News Agency, the new law provides for the regulation of railway safety and for the continued existence of the Railway Safety Regulator. The law introduces railway safety permits as well as a national railway safety information and monitoring system. It recognises that safe railway operations promote the use of rail as an efficient mode of transportation and that the effective provision of railway safety demands uniform policy, norms, and standards.

The Rail Safety Bill assented to by the President replaces the National Railway Safety Regulator Act of 2002, which was last amended in 2009. The updated legislat
ion reflects significant changes in the railway sector, such as South Africa’s rolling stock investment programme and the adoption of the first standard gauge railway system.

Recognising the importance of regional integration, the new law aligns South Africa’s railway safety regime with the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) goals for safe and harmonised railway operations. This move is expected to facilitate greater connectivity and collaboration within the region. “This is a significant prerequisite for greater regional integration,” the Presidency said.

Key provisions of the Bill include the creation of a national railway safety information and monitoring system, the introduction of railway safety permits, and the design of consistent policies, norms, and standards for railway safety. It also seeks to harmonise South Africa’s railway safety regulations with those of the Southern African Development Community.

The Presidency stated that by prioritising uniform policies, norms, and standards,
the Rail Safety Bill positions rail as an important component of South Africa’s transportation system while addressing the demands of modernisation and regional integration.