Metrorail train in Cape Town.
Cape Town ( IOL) – Commuters travelling from Cape Town’s CBD to the Cape Flats may be able to use Metrorail’s Central line by Wednesday afternoon, the commuter rail operator said on Wednesday morning. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) said on Tuesday the line would be up and running after a week of suspended service.
A security guard was murdered at Khayelitsha station on January 10, initially causing the disruption to the service along the line. Subsequently, rampant vandalism prolonged the suspension of services on the Central line.
Recent vandalism at the Nyanga station caused further delays. On Tuesday, Prasa released pictures of the Bonteheuwel substation which was almost completely destroyed by vandals, rendering it completely unoperational.
Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott said the repairs to the substation would take months, but teams were out “at first light” to inspect repairs done to the Nyanga infrastructure to ensure the service would be operational in time for the afternoon peak.
“We have been working around the clock. Obviously, due to the extent of the damage and the repair work done, and the length of time the service has been suspended, we need to be sure that the infrastructure can handle the pressure of a return to operation,” Scott said. “But we hope to have the service up and running by later this afternoon.”
Regional manager Richard Walker said every effort would be made to restore the service to commuters as soon as safely possible: “Given the stringent safety requirements, engineers will do the necessary repair and safety checks to ensure that trains can operate safely.”
Central services remain most affected due to high rate of vandalism in the Bontheuwel-Netreg-Nyanga area and communities are requested to assist police and Metrorail to continue operations by reporting any crimes/suspicious activity to any of the numbers below.
“Full anonymity of the information sources is guaranteed and a reward of up to R25 000 is payable for any information leading to a conviction,” Metrorail said in a statement.
