Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, is assessing work on the upgrade of Metrorail Southern Line infrastructure which was vandalised when the service was stopped because of the pandemic.
This comes after the Western Cape was granted a certificate to run the new Electric Motor Unit (EMU).
The EMU relies less on overhead cables that get vandalised and stolen.
The Cape Flats and the Southern Lines are the only two lines that have been running trial operations of the new EMU’s in the Western Cape during off-peak hours.
“We made an undertaking to restore commuter rail services and return the 10 priority rail corridors to service this calendar year. We are pleased that the progress we have made places us firmly on track towards the realisation of this commitment,” says Mbalula.
“As an integral part of PRASA’s Integrated Security Strategy, a process to train 149 military veterans and other protection services staff employed by PRASA in the Western Cape to safeguard and protect the railway infrastructure, staff and commuters was started in December 2021,” adds Mbalula.
