The Gugulethu Development Forum (GDF) has welcomed the reinstatement of trains to Nyanga Railway Station.
On Tuesday 4 April, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) reintroduced trains on the central line until Nyanga after years of no service and vandalism of rail infrastructure. The relaunch was spearheaded by Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, who boarded a train from Nyanga to Cape Town Train Station.
The opening of the central line is the latest in a series of moves to reintroduce trains in the Cape Town metro.
GDF chair Vincent Domingo said the reinstatement of trains to Nyanga was long overdue. He stated it was not only helpful for the commuters but the vendors who relied on the Metrorail infrastructure to earn a living.
“We are happy and welcome the coming back of trains after such a long time,” he said.
“People will not only depend on taxis and buses, but they will have another option. Trains are way cheaper than other modes of transport.”
However, Domingo urged Prasa to ensure there were limited delays for commuters and proper communication.
He also appealed to the community to protect the railway stations by reporting suspicious activities to the police.
Ricardo Mackenzie, Western Cape Minister for Mobility, said they were pleased with all the work being done to get the train back on the tracks. He attributed the success of the move to collaboration and hard work between Prasa and the different spheres of government.
He said: “Although there is still a long way to go to restore full rail services to all communities, seeing commuters travelling to work again on this line is an excellent first step. One of our top mobility priorities is the restoration of rail as the backbone of public transport in Cape Town and other rail links in our province for both the movement of people and goods.”
Mackenzie said he had several meetings with Prasa leadership to see how the Western Cape Government (WCG) could support their efforts to fix the rail.
She said one of the key issues was to ensure trains returned and adequate security was in place to prevent any vandalism or attacks on commuters.
“My commitment upon the full reinstatement of the Central Line is to work with my colleagues to re-establish the dormant Rail Enforcement Unit, a partnership which the WCG funded previously alongside the City of Cape Town and Prasa.”
Provincial Prasa spokesperson Zino Mihi said the resumption of the Langa to Nyanga line is a major achievement for the region as the Nyanga corridor has been non-operational since November 2019.
“As the region, we are happy to fulfill our obligations as a community-driven service provider of mass public transportation within the Cape Town Metropole, to lower- and middle-income customers.”
She said adding that the Central Line is one of the biggest contributors to revenue collection and their commuter base.