Have a safe trip again

PRASA: WINNING VANDALISM FIGHT WITH 80% RAILWAY LINES RESTORED; IMPROVED SECURITY

- Thando Nondywana

More than 80% of the country's railway lines are back in service and running with improved security services, after the vandalism and looting of infrastructure that happened during the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020.

According to the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), the full recovery of the train services, including signalling, is expected by the 2027-28 financial year. The agency said it was on track with the revival of train services and the future of Metrorail.

Since the 2021-22 financial year, the railway agency received over R38 billion in capital funding from the fiscus to restore and improve the service in the country.

The agency has spent R3.4 billion on recovering rail infrastructure in Gauteng alone.

Prasa spokesperson Andiswa Makanda said: "The plans are part of our wider strategy to improve passenger rail services across South Africa and make rail a safe, reliable and affordable mode of transport."

The route from Naledi in Soweto to Park Station in Johannesburg remains one of the busiest, often reaching full capacity during peak times.

A commuter, Lucky Siboiboi, who has been using trains for 18 years, makes the daily trip from Protea, a stone's away from Naledi, to Johannesburg, where he is a hawker.

"The train experience is totally different compared to the old yellow trains. The blue ones are so clean - something we never used to see. Trains are always on time with no delays and there are security personnel onboard."

Covid's impact The Naledi line, part of the Gauteng West corridor, was hardest hit during the Covid lockdowns, with 30 out of 55 train stations in the West vandalised, Prasa's Makanda said.