South Africa: Gauteng Commuters Cheer Prasa's Long-Awaited Reopening of Key Rail Lines

4 April 2024
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Bheki C. Simelane

Almost four years after the destruction of the country's rail infrastructure, Prasa has been on a steady recovery path that has seen more crucial rail lines reopen. In Gauteng, 13 of the province's 16 commuter lines have resumed operations.

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) announced on 2 April that three crucial rail lines in Gauteng opened at the end of March. These are: New Canada to Nancefield; Germiston to Khosini; and Johannesburg to Florida.

Prasa has also reopened the Cape Town to Stellenbosch line in the Western Cape and Merebank to Chatsglen line in KwaZulu-Natal.

The reopening of the three lines in Gauteng follows the return to service of 10 other rail lines in the province over the past 12 months, including key routes used by large numbers of commuters daily.

This brings to 13 the total number of reopened rail lines in Gauteng. Three still remain out of action.

The other operational rail lines in Gauteng are: Pretoria to Saulsville; Pretoria to Pienaarspoort; Pretoria to Dewildt; Pretoria to Mabopane; Mabopane to Belle-Ombre; Pretoria to Irene; Pretoria to Kempton Park; Leralla to Germiston; Naledi to Johannesburg; and Vereeniging to Union.

Gauteng Prasa spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng said the older train set, yellow in colour, will be used on the Vereeniging to Union route. The rest of the corridors will run the new EMU trains, known as Isitimela Sabantu or The People's Trains.

In 2023, Prasa said it...

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