Verified
The Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) oversees the safety of South Africa’s railway system on behalf of the Department of Transport. Parliament first established the RSR under the National Railway Safety Regulator Act of 2002, and its authority is now defined by the Railway Safety Act 30 of 2024. The RSR’s head office is in Midrand, with regional offices in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.
- Registered name
- Railway Safety Regulator (RSR)
- Type
- National public entity (rail safety regulator)
- Fields funded
- Engineering, finance, audit, supply chain, HR, risk, IT, law and communication
- Website
- rsr.org.za
- bursaries@rsr.org.za
- Phone
- 010 495 5391
Permits, inspections and investigations
The RSR’s oversight begins before a train leaves the station. Every train operator must apply to the RSR for a safety permit, showing that it meets prescribed operational requirements, and nobody may operate on the South African rail network without one. The RSR inspects the network, audits operators’ safety systems, investigates incidents to find root causes, and develops regulations and standards.
When operators fail to meet safety requirements, the RSR issues enforcement notices and directives, which can include reduced speed limits or suspended services to protect passengers and communities living near railway lines.
A network of 20 million kilometres a year
The RSR says trains across South Africa travel more than 20 million kilometres a year, like going to the moon and back 26 times. The RSR’s technical articles show the detail behind safety work: the Track Quality Index uses data from instrumented measurement vehicles to assess track geometry objectively, and weak radio signals along railway lines can cut communication for movement authorities and emergency stop commands when signals fail.
The RSR bursary
The RSR provides financial aid to employees and members of the public studying at accredited South African institutions, as part of its commitment to develop a skilled workforce and give previously disadvantaged people opportunities. The external bursary funds undergraduate degrees and diplomas in civil, electrical and mechanical engineering, financial management, internal audit, supply chain, human resources, risk management, IT, law and media and communication.
Applicants must be South African citizens aged 15 to 35 with at least 65% and no other bursary. The RSR does not publish a work-back obligation for external applicants. The 2026 round closed on 23 December 2025, and the RSR usually advertises its round on its opportunities portal around November or December.
How to research the RSR
Read the RSR’s State of Safety reports and safety news, and explain how your field could make trains safer. Report rail safety concerns you see to the RSR as well.
See the Transnet bursary for another rail employer.
