TRL3705
ASSIGNMENT 2 2025
DUE: 28 AUGUST 2025 (MEMO)
, TRL3705 ASSIGNMENT 2 2025
COMPULSORY ASSIGNMENTS
ASSIGNMENT: 02
DUE DATE: 2025-08-28
1.2 Assignment questions
Intermodal activity and modal shifts
In Learning Unit 1 - 4 we discussed how a lack of intermodal facilities is part of the
reason for the reduction in rail’s market share in the freight market, and the importance
of these facilities for the upliftment of rail in South Africa (section 1.4.2). Consider the
Gautrain service, how it links rail to bus and rail to air (via the OR Tambo International
route). It has intermodal connectivity.
1) Discuss the challenges faced by passenger rail transport in Africa and
illustrate by means of practical example where possible.
Passenger rail transport in Africa has faced a prolonged decline over the past decades,
largely due to inadequate investment, outdated infrastructure, and institutional
challenges. Railway infrastructure is rigid and capital-intensive, requiring constant
maintenance and operating expenditure (Rail Infrastructure in Africa: Current Situation).
Unfortunately, many African states have lacked the financial or institutional capacity to
sustain rail operations, resulting in declining performance levels and sub-standard
services compared to global benchmarks.
ASSIGNMENT 2 2025
DUE: 28 AUGUST 2025 (MEMO)
, TRL3705 ASSIGNMENT 2 2025
COMPULSORY ASSIGNMENTS
ASSIGNMENT: 02
DUE DATE: 2025-08-28
1.2 Assignment questions
Intermodal activity and modal shifts
In Learning Unit 1 - 4 we discussed how a lack of intermodal facilities is part of the
reason for the reduction in rail’s market share in the freight market, and the importance
of these facilities for the upliftment of rail in South Africa (section 1.4.2). Consider the
Gautrain service, how it links rail to bus and rail to air (via the OR Tambo International
route). It has intermodal connectivity.
1) Discuss the challenges faced by passenger rail transport in Africa and
illustrate by means of practical example where possible.
Passenger rail transport in Africa has faced a prolonged decline over the past decades,
largely due to inadequate investment, outdated infrastructure, and institutional
challenges. Railway infrastructure is rigid and capital-intensive, requiring constant
maintenance and operating expenditure (Rail Infrastructure in Africa: Current Situation).
Unfortunately, many African states have lacked the financial or institutional capacity to
sustain rail operations, resulting in declining performance levels and sub-standard
services compared to global benchmarks.
