The profits of this railway in this year equalled 59 per cent. of the total earnings.
In 1901, notwithstanding the state of war, the Cape Government Railways showed—
| Total Earnings. | Total Expenses. | Profits. |
| £3,852,871. | £2,875,571. | £977,300. |
Equal to £4, 8s. 4d. per cent. on the then capital of £22,125,085.
In the same year the Natal Railways showed—
| Earnings. | Total Expenses. | Profits. |
| £1,650,355, 5s. 4d. | £1,159,026, 7s. 9d. | £491,328, 17s. 7d. |
Equal to £5, 15s. 2½d. per cent. on the capital of £8,528,989.
Included in the Natal Railway expenses is the sum of £159,328 expended on permanent work that should have been charged to capital, which, if added to the profits as it should be, would make an actual profit for the year of £650,656, 17s. 7d. There are no returns available to show the result of working the Central South African Railways, formerly the Imperial Military Railways, during the period of the war. Nor are there any available now, but considering the past results and the great volume of present traffic, and the maintenance of the old high rates for freight and passenger fares, it may be estimated that the earnings of the Central South African Railways in the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony will probably be between £5,500,000 and £6,000,000, and the profits between £2,500,000 and £3,000,000, a very important item in the revenues of the two new colonies.
