Yes, the South African Po\ice Service (SAPS) does have dedicated Railway
Police unite.
(1}{a) The Railway Police Is mandated to render a visible policing service, to ensure the safety of commuters, passengers, freight and the rail transport” system, conduct preventative and reactive policing service within the rail environment, provide a rapid rail policing service and perform crime prevention and crime combating operations, In the rail environment.
(1)(b}(l) The five Railway Police units are situated in four provinces, namely: The Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. Each Unit has a dedicated responsibility towards Metrorail, Mainline (Long Distance Paa6anger Trains), High Speed Trains (Gautrain) and Cross-Border Freight.
Gauteng North and Limpopo- Unit 1: Railway Police officers are situated in me following Railway Police corridors, namely: Pretoria (Pretoria Corridor and High-speed North Corridor), Mabopane Corridor, Saulsville Corridor, Danneboom Corridor (Dennaboom and Cross-Border and Freight corridors),
Belle-Ombre Corridor, Kempton Park(Kempton Park Corridor and High-speed South Corridor) and Silverton, in the Pretoria-Mainline Corridor.
Gauteng South and North West- Unit2: Railway Police officers are situated in the following Railway Police corridors, namely: Johannesburg Corridor, Germiston Corridor, Springs Corridor, New Canada Corridor, Krugersdorp Corridor, Stretford Corridor and Mainline and Germiston Cross-Border and Freight.
Western Cape and Northern Cape- Unit 3: Railway Police officers are situated in the following Railway Police corridors, namely: Bellville Corridor (Bellville Corridor and Cross-Border and Freight Corridor), Cape Town (Cape Town Corridor, Cross-Border and Freight Corridor), Retreat Corridor and Phillipi Corridor.
Eastern Cape and Free State• Unit4: Railway police officers are sttuatad in the following Railway Police corridors, namely: Ea6t London Corridor, Mount Ruth Condor, Swartkops Corridor(Nqheberha) and Nqhaberha Cross-Border and Freight corridors.
KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga• Unit 5: Railway police officers ara situated in the following Railway Police corridors, namely: Durban Corridor, Kwa-Mashu (Kwa-Mashu and Mainline Corridor), Reunion (Reunion Corridor, Cross-Border and Freight Corridor, Cavendi6h Corridor and Escombe
(1)(b)(ii)Gauteng North and Limpopo- Unit 1: 800 members
Gauteng South and North West- Unit2: 711 members
Western Cape and Northern Cape- Unit 3: 502 members
Eastern Cape and Free State- Unit4: 314 members
KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga- Unit5: 621 members
(1)(a)(i) The Railway Police is a centralised structure, resorting within the Division: Visible Policing and Operations, under the command of the Component Head:
Rapid Rail and Police Emergency Services, at the level of a Major General. The Railway Police is a national competency.
(1)(c)(ii) The structure for all the unit are, as follows:
A Unit Commander, at the level of a Brigadier.
An Operational Commander, at the level of a Colonel, for Metrorail, a Colonel for Mainline and Cross-Border Freight and only in Gauteng, an Operational Commander, for the High Speed traina (Gautrain).
A Corridor Commander, at the level of a Lieutenant Colonel.
A Support Commander, at the level of a Lieutenant Colonel.
(1)(d) Training courses, which relate to the rail environment, are as follows:
Railway Orientation Course.
Railway Training Course.
Tactical Policing (TP) I and II.
Crime Prevention Course.
(2) This information is not readily available. A request is made for an extension of three weeks, in which to provide the ra9ponse.
Reply to question 2208 recommended
GENERAL NATIONAL COMMISSIONER: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE
KJ SITOLE (SOEG)
Date: 2021-09-23
Reply to question 2208 approved
MINISTER OF POLICE
GENERAL BH CELE, MP
Date: 29-09-2021