The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has introduced a second Malmesbury train set and updated timetables expanding services on the Northern, Central, and Cape Flats lines — a development welcomed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape, though recurring operational failures continue to undermine commuter confidence, the party said recently.
Improvements on multiple lines
The revised schedules include an increase in Wellington Line services from eight to 19 daily trips, new early morning services from Strand and Nolungile to Cape Town, and improved peak-hour scheduling — positive steps, the DA says, towards rebuilding confidence in rail and strengthening regional connectivity.
Failures undermine progress
These improvements have, however, been overshadowed by a series of operational failures over the past week alone. Delays affected services between Cape Town and Retreat, and between Cape Town and Wellington. Signalling failures between Kenilworth and Fish Hoek led to cancellations, while defective points at Langa caused further disruption during Friday morning’s peak period, the party said. The incidents resulted in additional travel times of between 10 and 60 minutes.
Prof Nomafrench Mbombo, provincial spokesperson on mobility, acknowledged Prasa’s progress while stressing the scale of the challenge. “While Prasa has made encouraging progress in rebuilding passenger rail services, significant challenges remain. Reliable rail is essential because thousands of residents depend on it every day. Fixing passenger rail will improve access to opportunities, reduce congestion on our roads, and provide affordable public transport for commuters,” she said.
The case for devolution
The provincial government says it continues to engage constructively with Prasa to improve passenger rail services. However, the party argues that for the province to implement meaningful reforms and accelerate improvements directly, passenger rail powers must be devolved to capable provincial governments and municipalities.
Restoring a dependable rail system, the DA maintains, would not only provide commuters with dignified public transport, but also reduce traffic congestion, lower transport costs, and support economic growth.
Accountability called for
Mbombo said she would invite Prasa Western Cape to brief the Standing Committee on Mobility on progress made in restoring passenger rail services.
“During their previous appearance, Prasa provided valuable insights into the challenges facing the rail network and the interventions underway. We now want an update on the progress achieved, the obstacles that remain, the measures being implemented to address them, and the timelines for delivering a more reliable service. Western Cape commuters deserve transparency, accountability, and a rail network they can depend on,” she said.
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