THE Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) aims to restore the Mitchells Plain line by May following recent successful trial operations on the Central Line.

The Cape Town to Chris Hani rail, also known as the Central Line, was last fully functional in November 2019 before services were suspended due to vandalism and cable theft.

The line was also affected by illegal electrical connections and encroachment onto the railway alignment.

Last week, Prasa tested the line with the new blue and white state-of-the-art trains known as Isitimela Sabantu from Cape Town to Chris Hani, one of the end points of the Central Line.

Prasa said that due to the unprecedented number of shacks illegally occupying the Central Line, the regional team restored services on this corridor section by section, starting with Cape Town to Langa then to Nyanga. The train service will now extend from Nolungile to Chris Hani.

Metrorail Western Cape Manager, Raymond Maseko said that they had about 37kms of the rail line to recover, and that work only started in earnest in July 2020 as they’ve also had to work through occupations.

“We were able to recover the line from Cape Town to Langa, and we asked the community to work with us, and indeed we found a solution for that particular problem. Then in 2022, we grew the line all the way to Nyanga, then after Nyanga there was a problem with people that had built on top of the railway tracks between Nyanga and Philippi.

“There was nothing we could do, there was no passing. It was not adjacent to the track, it was on top of the track, but as they say, when there is a will, there is a way.”

Maseko explained that after they went back to the community, and asked them to work together, there was a breakthrough last year.

“In this financial year, we were able to remove people from the track between Nyanga and Philippi, and construct a railway line from Nyanga, all the way to Chris Hani. It’s 17-odd kilometres that we have covered.”

The test forms part of their trail operations which he explained means that they have recovered the line, and want to prove that the “standard which we have attained when we were reconstructing the line is to the highest level of safety”.

“It is only a matter of days now until people can start using the trains… It is only a matter of days before people enjoy the services that we were fighting so hard to get,” Maseko said.

Maseko added: “Currently our repair work (on the Mitchells Plain line) is at Philippi. We have already recovered Kapteinsklip station, Lentegeur station, and Mitchells Plain station. What is remaining for us to do, is the wires on top, and by the end of May, you will also be enjoying the very same services. Please be patient with us.”

He said that while the Chris Hani service marks a “significant step towards achieving this goal”, and once the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) grants permission for safe operations, the commuter service will commence.

Mobility MEC, Isaac Sileku said beyond improving mobility, the restoration of rail is a key factor in the reduction of road congestion, which directly impacts economic growth.

“Prasa is delivering on its commitments, overcoming immense challenges to restore a service that is the backbone of public transport and economic growth. They have re-ignited a lifeline for thousands who rely on this service daily, restoring dignity, mobility and opportunity,” said Sileku.

“By shifting more commuters to rail, we can ease pressure on road infrastructure, shorten travel times, and improve overall economic productivity. It is important to note that the reduction of congestion could drive R5.6 billion in economic growth.”

Cape Times