TRANSPORT Minister Fikile Mbalula says the completion of the rebuilding and resumption of service on the Naledi line accounts for the 13th corridor recovered this year.
This meant not only had they achieved the target of rehabilitating 10 priority corridors in 2022, but had also exceeded it.
Mbalula joined the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) group management for the oversight visit of the corridor and progress made. They boarded the train on Friday, 15 December, and interacted with commuters.
He said before the vandalism and destruction of the rail network, Prasa was operating 40 commuter rail corridors in the 2018/2019 period, but today, was operating 16.
“In 2015, Prasa was moving over 500 million passengers per annum. This number dropped to a little more than 200 million in 2019/2020, dropping further to 17 million in 2020/2021. The rehabilitation work, which also gives impetus to the modernisation programme, will undoubtedly reclaim the commuter rail market share.”
He added that the recovery of the Naledi line was deemed a major achievement, considering the role of commuter rail in bridging the gap between dormitory townships and centres of economic activity.
Commuter rail played an important role in unwinding apartheid spatial planning that located most people away from their workplaces.
Mbalula said the corridor covered 70km, with 15 stations. “We are pleased that the work of recovering overhead electrical wires stands at 95% completion rate at a cost of R152 398 591,16. Substations are at 60% completion at a cost of R181 976 138,05. A total of 354 local labourers were employed,” he said.
Acting Prasa CEO Nelson Malefane said since the recovery of train services in Gauteng, on average, 42 000 commuters used the train daily, with 10 000 using the Naledi to Joburg service.
