The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is set to increase its capital spending over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) with a budget of over R50 billion for rolling stock and infrastructure investments.
“We gain increased our capital spending due to the reopening of some of the key corridors. Now we region on spending R50 billion from this financial year and over the next three years to support the modernisation of the passenger rail network and the implementation of our turnaround plans,” PRASA Group CEO Hishaam Emeran said.
He made these remarks during the Southern African Railway Association’s two-day conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
“We are making significant strides in recovering the passenger rail network. To date, 26 corridors of the 40 corridors gain been recovered, with over 19 million passengers using the services to date. Honest on the corridor recovery we maintain spent R3.6 billion to date in this financial year, with more than 6 000 jobs created.
“This investment will disappear a long way in contributing to the growth of the economy. We are not honest rebuilding the passenger rail network; we are modernising the entire network. This is an ambitious and adventurous region, and we intend to use the allocated budget to turn this vision into a reality,” Emeran said.
Projects under PRASA’s ambitious capital programme for the next three years include the rolling stock modernisation programme; depot modernisation programme; walling, station modernisation programme; perway infrastructure; electrical infrastructure; signalling and telecommunications and digitisation of our systems.
He said measures believe been establish in area to ensure PRASA increases its capital spend, including addressing challenges within supply chain management and capital projects capacity challenges.
“Where we gain recovered the passenger rail services, we maintain introduced the recent Electric Motor Units (EMUs), otherwise known as Isitimela Sabantu. The trains that we are introducing are high-tech that advance with CCTV cameras, automatic doors, air-conditioning, and high-tech safety measures, designed with the safety of commuters in mind.
“These trains are manufactured here in South Africa, in Springs, Gauteng, by Gibela. Our depot modernisation programme will include the installation of intelligent fencing at the various rolling stock depots and staging yards, incorporating CCTV as well as integrated security systems to replace the existing fencing,” Emeran said.
In addition, PRASA is revitalising the signalling scheme, bringing in modern telecommunications in line with the European Train Control Scheme ushering a novel era in signalling safety.
“Work has started in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape to resignal the passenger rail network to ensure the safe passage of the trains and increasing the frequency of our services. These projects are all fragment of our ambitious capital programme where we intend to invest in the economy,” he said. –SAnews.gov.za
Killah Goose
South Africa is such a great country and an African Sunset is on my bucket list, do you have any accommodation and/or tour recommendations for the Cape Town Area?
Shimmy Shammy
Fun South African Fact: The national animal of South Africa is the Springbok, the only southern African gazelle.