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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The repairs to the Central Line have thus far cost just less than R2-billion and are expected to rise further, said David Mphelo, acting CEO of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). This comes as the agency wants to speed up efforts to get the line fully operational. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mphelo was answering questions during a media briefing in Cape Town by </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-01-17-cape-town-will-see-trains-running-to-northern-suburbs-for-first-time-since-2020-transport-minister-mbalula/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on Monday, 17 January.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During his State of the Nation Address in 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that R1.4-billion would be allocated to Prasa to fix the Central Line, to allow for a “safe, reliable and affordable service”. </span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read in Daily Maverick: </span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-02-14-ramaphosa-a-key-priority-is-to-fix-commuter-rail/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ramaphosa: ‘A key priority is to fix commuter rail’</span></i></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mphelo attributed the rising costs to encroachment on the line and the Covid-19 hard lockdown. During the hard lockdown in 2020, vandalism and theft increased as train operations came to a halt, leaving Prasa infrastructure exposed to criminals. </span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-839276\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/Sune-philppi-occupiers4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"499\" /> The community of Lockdown informal settlement in Cape Town is one of two settlements on Prasa railway lines. The Central Line recovery cannot be completed until land occupiers are moved. (Photo: Suné Payne / Daily Maverick)</p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The contract has not yet been completed,” Mphelo said, adding that the agency would extend contracts because of the delays. He said that with further extensions the cost of repairing the Central Line could rise to R2.5-billion. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Central Line runs along 21 stations in Cape Town, including Langa and Philippi, and ends at Chris Hani (Khayelitsha) and Kapteinsklip (Mitchells Plain) stations. A line to Bellville station also runs on the Central Line to stations including Bonteheuwel, Lavistown (Bishop Lavis), Unibell (Belhar) and Sarepta (Kuils River). The line was initially closed in November 2019 after sustained vandalism and theft of infrastructure, particularly at Bonteheuwel and Netreg (Kalksteenfontein) stations.</span>\r\n<p style=\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block;\"> <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" title=\"View Cape Town train lines on Scribd\" href=\"https://www.scribd.com/document/553616883/Cape-Town-train-lines#from_embed\">Cape Town train lines</a></p>\r\n<iframe id=\"doc_26336\" class=\"scribd_iframe_embed\" title=\"Cape Town train lines \" src=\"https://www.scribd.com/embeds/553616883/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-tbfWaqdgx91fVCws1Byw\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" data-auto-height=\"false\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.1290726817042607\"></iframe>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In February 2021, about 471 days after the initial closure, trains travelled on the Central Line from Cape Town station to Langa station. </span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read in Daily Maverick: </span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-02-15-prasas-leonard-ramatlakane-joins-commuters-on-the-first-train-in-471-days-to-leave-langa-station/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prasa’s Leonard Ramatlakane joins commuters on the first train in 471 days to leave Langa station</span></i></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, trains cannot move further than Langa station as land occupiers have made the tracks their home. The Langa land occupiers are not the only ones occupying Prasa railway lines — there is another occupation in </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-02-16-cape-town-land-occupiers-stop-prasa-in-its-tracks/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Philippi</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In July 2021 Prasa sought an eviction order from the Western Cape High Court so it could begin repairs. This order was granted and Prasa had until November 2021 to remove the occupiers. Prasa is working with the City of Cape Town, the Housing Development Agency and the Department of Public Works, among other stakeholders, to remove the occupiers from Langa to public land in Eerste River. In November, Prasa was granted an extension on the evictions to July 2022. </span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read in Daily Maverick: </span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-11-26-court-gives-prasa-eight-more-months-to-remove-land-occupiers-on-railway-line-in-langa/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Court gives Prasa eight more months to remove land occupiers on railway line in Langa</span></i></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prasa Corporate Real Estate Solutions regional manager Koparo Molefi said that “by the end of February, we will have resolved the land issue” following talks with community members over the relocation from Langa to Eerste River. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speaking at a media briefing during his oversight tour in Cape Town, Mbalula said all 21 stations on the Central Line required extensive upgrades, which have been prioritised by the Central Line Presidential Project. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mbalula said the stations are at different stages of upgrades, which began at the start of the financial year “and are due for completion in the first quarter of the 2022/2023 financial year”. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mbalula described the Central Line as his “biggest gripe” and one that needed to be fixed. </span><b>DM</b>",
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"name": "The community of Lockdown informal settlement in Cape Town, is one of two settlements on Prasa railway lines. The Central Line recovery cannot be completed until land occupiers are moved. (Photo: Suné Payne / Daily Maverick)",
"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The repairs to the Central Line have thus far cost just less than R2-billion and are expected to rise further, said David Mphelo, acting CEO of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). This comes as the agency wants to speed up efforts to get the line fully operational. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mphelo was answering questions during a media briefing in Cape Town by </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-01-17-cape-town-will-see-trains-running-to-northern-suburbs-for-first-time-since-2020-transport-minister-mbalula/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on Monday, 17 January.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During his State of the Nation Address in 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that R1.4-billion would be allocated to Prasa to fix the Central Line, to allow for a “safe, reliable and affordable service”. </span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read in Daily Maverick: </span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-02-14-ramaphosa-a-key-priority-is-to-fix-commuter-rail/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ramaphosa: ‘A key priority is to fix commuter rail’</span></i></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mphelo attributed the rising costs to encroachment on the line and the Covid-19 hard lockdown. During the hard lockdown in 2020, vandalism and theft increased as train operations came to a halt, leaving Prasa infrastructure exposed to criminals. </span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_839276\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-839276\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/Sune-philppi-occupiers4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"499\" /> The community of Lockdown informal settlement in Cape Town is one of two settlements on Prasa railway lines. The Central Line recovery cannot be completed until land occupiers are moved. (Photo: Suné Payne / Daily Maverick)[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The contract has not yet been completed,” Mphelo said, adding that the agency would extend contracts because of the delays. He said that with further extensions the cost of repairing the Central Line could rise to R2.5-billion. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Central Line runs along 21 stations in Cape Town, including Langa and Philippi, and ends at Chris Hani (Khayelitsha) and Kapteinsklip (Mitchells Plain) stations. A line to Bellville station also runs on the Central Line to stations including Bonteheuwel, Lavistown (Bishop Lavis), Unibell (Belhar) and Sarepta (Kuils River). The line was initially closed in November 2019 after sustained vandalism and theft of infrastructure, particularly at Bonteheuwel and Netreg (Kalksteenfontein) stations.</span>\r\n<p style=\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block;\"> <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" title=\"View Cape Town train lines on Scribd\" href=\"https://www.scribd.com/document/553616883/Cape-Town-train-lines#from_embed\">Cape Town train lines</a></p>\r\n<iframe id=\"doc_26336\" class=\"scribd_iframe_embed\" title=\"Cape Town train lines \" src=\"https://www.scribd.com/embeds/553616883/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-tbfWaqdgx91fVCws1Byw\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" data-auto-height=\"false\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.1290726817042607\"></iframe>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In February 2021, about 471 days after the initial closure, trains travelled on the Central Line from Cape Town station to Langa station. </span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read in Daily Maverick: </span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-02-15-prasas-leonard-ramatlakane-joins-commuters-on-the-first-train-in-471-days-to-leave-langa-station/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prasa’s Leonard Ramatlakane joins commuters on the first train in 471 days to leave Langa station</span></i></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, trains cannot move further than Langa station as land occupiers have made the tracks their home. The Langa land occupiers are not the only ones occupying Prasa railway lines — there is another occupation in </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-02-16-cape-town-land-occupiers-stop-prasa-in-its-tracks/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Philippi</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In July 2021 Prasa sought an eviction order from the Western Cape High Court so it could begin repairs. This order was granted and Prasa had until November 2021 to remove the occupiers. Prasa is working with the City of Cape Town, the Housing Development Agency and the Department of Public Works, among other stakeholders, to remove the occupiers from Langa to public land in Eerste River. In November, Prasa was granted an extension on the evictions to July 2022. </span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read in Daily Maverick: </span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-11-26-court-gives-prasa-eight-more-months-to-remove-land-occupiers-on-railway-line-in-langa/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Court gives Prasa eight more months to remove land occupiers on railway line in Langa</span></i></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prasa Corporate Real Estate Solutions regional manager Koparo Molefi said that “by the end of February, we will have resolved the land issue” following talks with community members over the relocation from Langa to Eerste River. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speaking at a media briefing during his oversight tour in Cape Town, Mbalula said all 21 stations on the Central Line required extensive upgrades, which have been prioritised by the Central Line Presidential Project. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mbalula said the stations are at different stages of upgrades, which began at the start of the financial year “and are due for completion in the first quarter of the 2022/2023 financial year”. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mbalula described the Central Line as his “biggest gripe” and one that needed to be fixed. </span><b>DM</b>",
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The community of Lockdown informal settlement in Cape Town is one of two settlements on Prasa railway lines. The Central Line recovery cannot be completed until land occupiers are moved. (Photo: Suné Payne / Daily Maverick)