While vandalism and cable theft continue, Prasa makes progress in restoring rail services

Walker Station in Pretoria is refurbished on 15 December 2022 after years of closure. (Photo: Gallo Images / OJ Koloti)

By Bheki C. Simelane

18 Dec 2023

Prasa says the recovery of its rail network has gained momentum, with more than half of the rail corridors recovered and 80% scheduled to be restored by the end of the financial year.

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) says it has spent R4.6-billion and created 6,000 jobs in the process of recovering its rail network, which was largely destroyed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The recovery of the rail infrastructure has gained momentum, with 27 corridors (out of 40) recovered to date,” said Prasa spokesperson Andiswa Makanda.

In October, Prasa said R50-billion would be spent over the next three years to modernise the passenger rail network.

prasa recovery Walker Station in Pretoria is refurbished on 15 December 2022 after years of closure. (Photo: Gallo Images / OJ Koloti)

The money will cover rolling stock and infrastructure investments as well as depot modernisation, walling, station modernisation, electrical infrastructure, signalling telecommunications and digitisation.

Theft and vandalism

Much of Prasa’s infrastructure came under siege from criminals searching for scrap materials during the pandemic lockdown when the agency’s services were suspended.

According to the Railway Safety Regulator’s State of Safety Report 2022/23, an astonishing 8,643 security-related incidents were reported in the past year, 97% of which were theft and vandalism.

Theft and vandalism have been among Prasa’s biggest challenges. The cancellation of Prasa’s security contracts was blamed for the scourge.

On 18 August, Prasa oversaw the swearing-in of 286 protection services officers, who have the same powers as police officers. The agency said the employment of the guards would bolster the fight against the theft and vandalism of rail infrastructure.

Train stations

Coming out of the Covid lockdowns, Prasa undertook to refurbish and rebuild train stations across SA that were either in an alarming state of disrepair or destroyed.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Stripped bare: Looting till there is nothing left of Gauteng’s rail network

“Two hundred and thirty train stations have been refurbished to basic functionality across the country,” said Prasa’s Makanda.

The Metrorail system has more than 450 train stations.

In early November, Prasa said it had begun rehabilitating badly vandalised substations on the Randfontein-Johannesburg line.

It said it would run the new X’Trapolis Mega electric trains on most of its recovered lines.

“The diesel locomotives are old and experiencing challenges related to wear and tear,” Makanda said, adding that the electric trains were cheaper to run than diesel locomotives.

Last week, Prasa said it had transported just over 60 million passengers since the corridors’ recovery began in 2021.

Corridors

The agency told Daily Maverick it had recovered 27 out of South Africa’s 40 rail corridors.

In Gauteng, it had recovered seven commuter rail lines: Mabopane-Pretoria, De Wildt-Pretoria, Pienaarspoort-Pretoria, Pretoria-Kaalfontein, Leralla-Germiston, Germiston-Johannesburg and Naledi-Johannesburg.

It aims to restore 80% of the corridors by the end of this financial year, which means about 32 corridors by the end of February 2024.

Towards the end of August 2023, Prasa executives, with Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, opened the Leralla-Germiston line. In September, Chikunga launched train services between KwaMashu and Durban.

On 1 December 2023, Prasa announced it had resumed the Johannesburg-Durban-Cape Town operations of the Shosholoza Meyl rail services. The services were suspended in 2021 amid operational and network infrastructure challenges.

Parliament’s transport portfolio committee wants Prasa’s management to account for the challenges affecting the return of the Shosholoza Meyl.

“Prasa has a primary mandate to provide passenger rail transport services in urban areas and for long-distance,” Makanda said.

She said it was planned to resume the Durban to Pinetown and De Wildt to Belle Ombre routes before the end of this financial year.

“The temporary relocation of just under 900 households currently occupying the Central Line in the Western Cape will allow for Prasa to recover the rest of the Central Line from Nyanga to Chris Hani and Kapteinsklip within this financial year,” Makanda said. DM

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South Africa

Theft and vandalism