Narrow versus standard gauge once again came under the spotlight when Dr Dave van der Meulen of the Railway Corporate Strategy presented a talk on the competitiveness and sustainability of rail in South Africa at the annual Railways and Harbours Conference and Exhibition in Johannesburg. “The use of narrow gauge tracks is one of the fundamental forces driving the various railway scenarios in South Africa,” he told conference goers. “The second force is that of state ownership versus private ownership.” Dr Van der Meulen said there was no doubt that the use of narrow gauge tracks inherently impeded the competitiveness of a railway, and that the ability to extend standard gauge was one of the major rail scenarios for the country. With the debate ongoing on whether the country should continue to use its narrow gauge or move to standard gauge continuing to rage, Dr Van der Meulen said the country had stretched what it could out of narrow gauge. “There is a train of thought that the narrow gauge system is under-utilised. That is not so, it is rather obsolete. It is so old it cannot be used in a competitive environment any more.” According to him standard gauge has been found to be superior in advancing a railway’s competitiveness. “Our competitive disadvantage is escalating,” he said. “Domestically we are competing against other modes, internationally against other countries. It is important we ensure our railways are as competitive as possible. One must never forget that the
