Over the years, Cape Town’s railway lines have been riddled with cable theft and infrastructure problems, particularly the central line. However, this is all about to change according to the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
The Central Line, one of Metrorail’s busiest, which provides affordable transport to the Cape Flats, has been inoperable since November 2019. According to EWN, Prasa is set to introduce a service recovery programme that is directed at fixing the infrastructure and rehabilitation of the power supply network.
During a briefing on Tuesday, June 22, with the Western Cape’s provincial standing committee on Transport and Public Works, the rail agency indicated that their primary objective was to re-establish train services between Langa and Chris Hani stations, the Langa and Kapteinsklip stations and from Bonteheuwel to Bellville, as reported by EWN.
Approximately R790 million has been allocated for station repairs and upgrades over the next three years, while a further cost of R2.1 billion will be used to appoint contractors to build a four-metre wall along the central line, as per Times Live.
However, the start of the project has been hindered by the 8000 people who have made homes for themselves in and around the central line.
