By Tauhierah Salie
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula is expected to access operations via train along the recently re-opened Central line in Cape Town on Tuesday. He is expected to assess the resumption of rail services in the Western Cape.
PRASA announced the resumption of its operations between Cape Town to Langa via Pinelands, and Langa to Bellville via Sarepta.
Public transport commuters are due to breathe a sigh of relief, as the service provides a cheaper alternative. The recent rise in petrol prices and inflation has left the country’s most vulnerable struggling to stay afloat. The closure of the crucial lines also resulted in an influx of motorists on the Western Cape’s roads, as commuters opted for buses or taxi.
Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) was last month briefed about PRASA’s plans to recover priority corridors. Speaking from the Cape Town station on Tuesday morning, spokesperson Andiswa Makanda, said it’s a major milestone, given that the Line had been closed since 2019.
Makanda says the biggest challenge was illegal occupants who had set up house along the rail network during the hard-lockdown in 2020. She says the Human Settlements Department’s Housing Development Agency (HAD) has assisted the necessary court process and allocation of alternative land, as required by law. The areas have since been cordoned off.
The volatility in crime ridden areas have also hindered rail operations, she said, where at least five vandalized sub-stations were rehabilitated.
“Part of the challenge which the public also needs to understand is that there was a decision taken by previous management to cancel security contracts across the country (due to) irregularities. But, unfortunately, there wasn’t an alternative arrangement put in place and so our network was left vulnerable to criminality. We are deploying security as we resume services,” she explained.
Makanda added that the electricity motor units, also known as the ‘Blue electrical trains,’ are being rolled out. She described an incident wherein the train roof and the cable wiring – what she referred to as the ‘pantel hook-up’- experienced a glitch this morning. According to Makanda, there will be an adjustment period:
“Because they’re running for the first time; there will be issues. [Trains need to run more so] the train and the rail network [can] align. Even today, we experienced a glitch but we are optimistic that the train and network need to get used to each other (…) we are hopeful that by the end of the week, there will be alignment and smooth running of the trains,” she added.
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