Ermelo is a crossroads of three national highways, the N2, N11, and N17, and, therefore, it only makes sense that most major railway lines connect with Ermelo. The development of the first railway station in Ermelo initially started in 1899 and was conducted by the Railway Company. However, construction ceased due to the outbreak of the second freedom war, and with a lack of communication and team work between the British Management and the Railway Company, the plans came to a halt. Salvation came in 1906 when plans were revived, and the government started building the junction between Machadadorp and Ermelo, which was completed in 1908. However, the first train to reach Ermelo arrived in 1906, and with that, the railway line between Ermelo and Breyten was officially opened on 13 March 1907. The development of passenger and rail freight transport in Mpumalanga began with constructing the first railway line between Maputo (Lourenco Marques) and Pretoria, which opened between 1891 and 1894. The first branch line, been built from Kaapmuiden to Barberton, was opened in 1896 to serve the developing goldfields in the area. A 176km section of the important Johannesburg-Durban mainlines opened in 1895, which remains today, while the essential secondary mainline, running from Springs to Bethal, was opened in 1905. A 151km portion of this 198km line falls within Mpumalanga's borders. However, the original section from Estancia to Breyten has been decommissioned since the line now uses the Davel to Ermelo section of the Richards Bay coal line. The coal mining industry in the Witbank area depended on rail transport from the earliest years. First developed along the Ogies-Witbank axis where after a new development took place resulting in the construction of a branch from Ogies to Broodsnyersplaas, opened from 1946 to 1950. This branch was later extended to Ermelo during the mid-1970s as part of the Richards Bay Coal line project. On 19 January 1976, Ermelo's first coal train left Ermelo's station en route to Richards Bay. This marked a memorable day for coal transportation from Ermelo, and it is said that the occasion was joyously celebrated. A new passenger station was then planned and constructed. The old Railway Station in Ermelo was originally re-named Frans du Toit-Halte, and the new station was named Ermelo Station. Running eastwards from Buhrmanskop on the Machadodorp-Ermelo line, this 50km branch was opened in 1925 as an agricultural development line. However, it has increasingly served the forestry industry in recent years as plantations have developed along its length. During the 2007 - 2008 financial year of the railway administration, over 276 000 tons of forestry traffic originated on the branch. Of this amount, about 60 000 tons were destined for Richards Bay. In addition, a small volume of maise, but no longer beans and stock feed traffic, originated on the branch. It is evident that over the years, the railway has grown and expanded by leaps and bounds, and what once used to be a small venture by the Railway Company has developed into an essential economic stabiliser in the production transport industry, putting Ermelo on the map in the freight rail industry.

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