The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) says it has reached a new milestone, by restoring 5 more Metrorail lines in the country.
At the end of March, commuters were once again able to make use of the Cape Town to Stellenbosch line. 3 lines are working again in Gauteng while a 4th is in KZN. In recent years, close to 1 million people in the Mother City have stopped relying on trains. This has severely affected traffic flow.
THE SERVICES RESTORED AS OF THE END OF MARCH 2024 INCLUDE:
- Cape Town to Stellenbosch (Western Cape)
- Merebank to Chatsglen (KZN)
- Johannesburg to Florida (Gauteng)
- Johannesburg to Nancefield (Gauteng)
- Germiston to Elsburg (Gauteng)
PLANS TO REGAIN THE TRUST OF FORMER TRAIN COMMUTERS
The agency is hoping to see customers make use of its services again. Spokesperson Andiswa Makanda says the agency is making great progress, as it aims to meet the demand of its customers.
“We have successfully brought 31 of our 40 lines back into partial operation and are focused on achieving full operational status for these corridors.”
— Metrorail W/Cape (@MetrorailWC) April 4, 2024
This milestone demonstrates our commitment to revitalising passenger rail services, providing an efficient and cost-effective public transport option for South Africans.”
Furthermore, Makanda adds the growing demand for functioning rail services has bolstered efforts to restore lines and infrastructure, that have previously stopped operating or have been vandalised.
“Recognizing the growing demand for our services, we are actively working to repair vandalised signalling equipment. These repairs are essential for the safe operation of our trains and to increase the frequency of our services.”
PRASA says progress was on the Central Line, with ongoing efforts to rehabilitate rail infrastructure from Philippi to Nolungile and onwards to Chris Hani.
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“This work has been facilitated by the temporary relocation of 891 households from the Philippi station area, enabling us to proceed with necessary recovery work.”
