Cape Town - Central line commuters were delighted when the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) conducted a “train test” from Langa to Nyanga after a long termination of services on the line.
Prasa said it had been long journey to reopen the line. The operation of the line was halted in 2019 after cases of vandalism and theft. In the same year the country was faced with Covid-19, a large number of dwellers erected shacks along the rails at Langa, Philippi and Nonkqubela stations.
A weekly service resumed on February 15, 2021, and trains started operating from Cape Town to Langa.
The train test yesterday was aimed at accommodating more commuters.
It comes after mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis released a statement on March 7 regarding the City’s plan to approach the new minister of transport for urgent clarity on rail devolution.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised ‘solid progress within a year’ and we back this 100% when it comes to devolving passenger rail for the City of Cape Town to run.
“Passenger rail has collapsed in Cape Town, and is now servicing just 2% of commuters daily when it should be the backbone of an affordable, reliable, and safe transport system. I will today write to Minister (Sindisiwe) Chikunga to ask her to fast-track rail devolution as a top priority.
“Capetonians need to know where the new transport minister stands on the delay in the national government’s Devolution Strategy with no definite deadline, and recent anti-devolution statements by the ANC,” Hill-Lewis said.
Continuation of Trail testing on the #CentralLineCT . Today we testing the #PeoplesTrain between Cape Town and Nyanga 🚆💙#RebuildingRail @PRASA_Group pic.twitter.com/gpL7FwyzAA
— Metrorail W/Cape (@MetrorailWC) March 15, 2023
Prasa spokesperson Zinobulali Mihi said the Langa to Nyanga line service would be introduced before the end of the month and Prasa was still engaging with the City to relocate the unlawful dwellers next to the railway line.
“The relocation process is still ongoing. The Langa to Nyanga service, where the line/service is going to be reintroduced before the end of the month, has no impact for now on those who are occupying the rail reserve in Langa.
“As Prasa, we are reopening the lines in phases. There’s tw0 phases, of which phase 1 is complete. We are now focusing on phase 2 (Nyanga to Chris Hani; Nyanga to Kapteinsklip), which we plan to complete by the end of the next financial year, that is 2023/24.
“Prasa is investing billions of rand. We are putting measures and systems in place to ensure that the integrity of the system is safe and sustainable,” Mihi said.
Commenting on the issues regarding the relocation of those occupying the central line, human settlements mayco member Malusi Booi said the City was not responsible for relocating the informal dwellers.
“It is incorrect that the City is responsible for relocating residents. Prasa and its implementing agent, the Housing Development Agency, are responsible for the relocation in terms of the Intergovernmental Protocol signed by all spheres of government for this Presidential Priority Project,” Booi said.