Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has unveiled the National Rail Master Plan (NRMP), a R2-trillion initiative designed to revitalize South Africa's struggling rail network and address its logistics crisis, which has been exacerbated by State Capture-era mismanagement and infrastructure deterioration. The plan aims to re-establish rail as the central pillar of the nation's transport ecosystem by increasing annual freight volumes to 250 million tonnes by 2029/2030, unlocking a viable market of 262 million tonnes. Key to this is the vertical separation of rail infrastructure from operations, with the establishment of the Rail Infrastructure Manager (Trim) to grant open access to private operators. The NRMP also proposes a differentiated funding model, with freight rail operating commercially and passenger rail receiving government subsidies, while addressing issues like the R4.2-billion in outstanding payments for locomotives from CRRC.