Transport and Public Works
With regard to rail services, the President stated that the central line would be fully functional by September 2020:
1. (a) What factors prevented this and (b) what is the current status of the central line;
2. whether busses have been hired to supplement the rail services for the passengers who are unable to utilise the service; if so, what are the relevant details;
3. (a) why has the construction of a safety wall between the Netreg and Bonteheuwel railway stations come to a halt and (b) what are the repercussions of this, including on the safety of commuters and on the infrastructure?
(1) (a & b) PRASA and its division Metrorail are responsible for the rail service and the restoration of the Central Line. We therefore forwarded these questions to PRASA requesting a response and have incorporated the feedback received below.
According to the information received from PRASA, a limited service was originally scheduled to resume in September 2020, with full functionality to be restored in a phased manner. However, the service remains suspended.
Progress was delayed by several factors, including COVID-19 and the associated lockdown, vandalism and theft of infrastructure on the Central Line during lockdown, resulting in further damage which will need to be repaired before services can resume, and ongoing operational and capacity challenges within PRASA, which limit its ability to implement projects.
Earlier this year, my Department concluded a MoA with PRASA which captured our intent to support PRASA in its efforts to restore the rail service, including the Central Line. We stand ready to support PRASA and engagements are ongoing.
(2) For the Central Line, PRASA is working on implementing an interim hybrid service of electric trains between Langa and Cape Town and bus services between Khayelitsha/Mitchells Plain and Langa. In terms of the MoA, we have offered to support PRASA to establish this interim bus service. We have developed an initial Operational, Business and Implementation Plan for this service and are engaging with PRASA on how best to move forward with this initiative. PRASA also intends to work with all transport operators along the corridor to develop an integrated plan. Engagements with the transport and community stakeholders in the corridor will be initiated soon and the approach will be finalised thereafter.
(3) (a) The wall was built as a pilot project in an effort to standardise walling along PRASA-owned corridors nationally. Improvements to the wall have been identified and PRASA intends to construct similar walls on all PRASA-owned corridors in a staged manner. PRASA has issued tenders to appoint consultants who will prepare designs incorporating identified improvements and assist PRASA with on-site construction and quality monitoring. The tender closed on 14 September 2020 and is currently being evaluated.
(3) (b) PRASA’s infrastructure has been seriously vandalised, especially on the Central Line. This caused PRASA to suspend train services on the Central Line as it could not guarantee the safety of its customers, personnel, and assets on compromised infrastructure. As part of the Central Line Recovery Programme, PRASA is working to reinstate the assets which have been vandalised, while the security walls are being built so that PRASA customers, personnel, and assets can be kept safe from vandals and thieves.
