The Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) says it is on track to reopen the Mabopane train corridor by the end of the month following its closure due to vandalism of infrastructure.
Prasa CEO Zolani Matthews said last week that engineers were racing against time to meet the deadline to reopen the corridor, which he said was a priority.
The Mabopane corridor was closed in November 2019 and then reopened for limited service in November last year, then closed again in August 2021 to make way for uninterrupted construction work.
About 300,000 commuters used the line weekly before it was closed.
Matthews said more than R600m has been spent in fixing infrastructure, which includes rebuilding 14 substations along the line. He said engineers were also rehabilitating 60km of railway line, 23 train stations and signalling, while a 100km precast concrete walling solution, fitted with security technology, and eight pedestrian bridges were also being constructed.
The agency also plans to reopen the Atteridgeville to Saulsville line by the end of December, while the GaRankuwa line is expected to be brought back early next year.
Other lines in Gauteng such as Pienaarspoort to Pretoria; Johannesburg to Naledi are expected to reopen in the next financial year, which starts in April 2022.
Matthews said one of the biggest challenge in bringing back rail services in Gauteng was ensuring that new infrastructure was protected.
“We’ve spent a lot of money on the corridors, we cannot leave them unprotected. Our current security complement as it stands is totally inadequate…We have taken steps not only to buy weapons that will allow them to defend themselves and defend our property. We also want to improve on their training, communication and vehicles,” he said.
“What has taken us a little bit of time is that we want to ensure that our procurement process in respect of the security division is efficient so that they are not sitting there waiting to be shot at.”
Prasa received R900m from Treasury to address its security problems.
Since the beginning of the pandemic in March last year, rail infrastructure vandalism and theft reached unprecedented levels, forcing most corridors in the country to stop operating.
Train commuters, who have been compelled to use taxis and buses, said this had hit them hard in their pockets.
Chairperson of the United Commuter Voice, Paul Soto, said the organisation did not believe that Prasa could keep its promises.
“They are just talking about what is on paper. Our view is that Mabopane line is still work in progress. We are not convinced judging by what is happening on the ground that by this end of the month the Mabopane line will open.”
Soto said commuters wanted a line connecting more than one metro, such as one from Vereeniging, Soweto, Johannesburg inner city and Ekurhuleni, as this would move more people to places of work.
Agnes Lengwati, 64, one of the commuters left stranded by the closure of the Mabopane line, said it would make a huge difference if the trains returned.
While using the train to travel from Mabopane station to Pretoria and then to Willows, she spent R870 a month on transport, including taxi fares.
But now her costs have shot up to R2,400 a month.
“I still have to pay for rent, buy food and pay for municipal services. It is really tough... If the trains return it would really give me some relief,” Lengwati said.
She works as a nail technician, and on a good month she makes about R6,000.
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