The department is working diligently, according to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, to meet its May commitment that services in regions covered by Phase 1 of the recovery plan will be operational by the end of July 2022.
“We chose two priority lines that are crucial for the restoration of commuter rail services: the Central Line in Cape Town and the Mabopane Line in Tshwane.
To provide a safe, dependable, and reasonably priced service, we invested R1.4 billion in each of these lines, according to Mbalula.
Mbalula noted the good progress made in restoring commuter rail services, rehabbing and upgrading rail infrastructure after leading an oversight inspection of the rail repair and recovery on the Central Line in Cape Town on Tuesday morning.
The recovery efforts of the corridor were further impeded by unlawful occupations on the rail network during the tight shutdown.
“This corridor was closed in 2019 owing to theft and damage.
I am happy with the advancements achieved in regaining a number of Central Line lines,” Mbalula remarked.
According to Mbalula, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has to rebuild infrastructure from the bottom up in order to achieve rebuilding and recovery.
Vandalized and stolen electrical wires, perways, and railway clips have all been replaced.
The five substations that power the network that have been vandalised must also be repaired.
“PRASA found vandalised platforms, station lighting, commuter restrooms, and the station structure at each station.
It’s good to know that the stations in Lavistown and Bontheuwel are currently being renovated.
“To further ensure the safety of our riders and employees, we have expanded the number of security personnel on the ground to safeguard rail infrastructure.
We continue to believe that the comprehensive security strategy will succeed in stemming theft and damage.
Mbalula stated, “We will give the idea a national footprint and have already executed it on the Mabopane and Saulsville Lines.”
Mbalula claims that more than 600 jobs have already been generated by the initiative, and Prasa has invested about R500 million in the restoration of the corridor.
The following tasks have been completed internally by Prasa staff members as well as several contractors: security, overhead traction electricity, perway, and three stations (Bonteheuwel, Lavistown, and Heideveld).
There are now 30 vintage train sets in the fleet of the PRASA Western Cape region.
The 13 brand-new Isitimela Sabantu trains that are currently in service complement this. On the Central Line between Langa and Cape Town, two outdated train sets are now in service.
Given the difficulties involved in relocating illegal settlements and the ongoing criminal attacks on the infrastructure and security personnel, Mbalula described the restoration of service on the line as a significant accomplishment.
“The process of rebuilding the infrastructure damaged by theft and vandalism is moving forward and will allow us to resume commuter rail services within the time frames we had promised.
According to Mbalula, “our major stakeholders—organized labour and communities—have played a significant role in ensuring that the reconstruction of commuter train capacity moves with the necessary speed”.