R800 million spent to recover rail lines in Durban

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has to date spent R800 million in recovering commuter rail lines in the City of eThekwini as part of its recovery programme.

PRASA’s recovery programme includes recovering passenger rail services, improving safety and security, protecting assets, providing sound leadership, as well as executing its capital programme.

As part of Transport Month, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy conducted an oversight visit to the Merebank to Crossmoor commuter line on Friday, 11 October. A ticket from Merebank to Crossmoor in Durban costs R7.50.

“In this city, there are eight lines that transport passengers into the metro and so far, we have recovered six of those lines, and we have recovered 70 of 102 stations.

“This recovery is not an easy task. It requires replacing rails, dealing with the flood damage of 2022, and dealing with the electricity overheard power lines that power the electric trains.

“We have had to rebuild a traction substation so that there is adequate power on this line. All the stations were severely vandalised. Work that has been done on the five stations on this particular line includes ticket sales, ablution facilities, weather protection and supplying water and electricity,” Creecy said.

She said the Merebank to Crossmoor commuter line is the pioneer line for the new modern signalling technology. 

“That contract for signalling has already been awarded and we are in the design phase. Signalling allows us to dramatically increase the number of trains that we are running.

“At the moment, with every train that is running, there has to be direct contact with the driver and we can only run one train on a line, and when it gets to the end of the line, it goes back because we don’t want an accident.

“Once, you have automatic signalling, the train is controlled electronically from a central control centre and we can run the trains at three or five minute intervals during peak times. This will allow us to ramp up the numbers for passengers,” the Minister said.

The signalling will also allow PRASA to open the second line and the trains will be able to run at the same time.

“This station has increased capacity so that we are able to run the trains at short intervals because there is enough power for all of the trains that will be running. 

“There are security guards [on site]. In due course, we will also have electronic surveillance on the line. If anybody is tempering with the line, the message will go to the central control system,” Creecy said.

Government plans to achieve 250 million tonnes of freight per annum through the country’s freight corridors and 600 million passenger trips per annum by 2030.

“In the City of eThekwini, the contribution to passenger trips should be 126 million per year. At the moment, we are running 13 million and nationwide, we should be running 40 million passenger trips at the end of this financial year.

“Our next big project is going to be the recovery of the South Coast line and that line is already out to tender, and we hope to start the work in 2026,” the Minister said. –SAnews.gov.za

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