Sharp drop in train usage a concern

TRANSPORT and Public Works chairperson in the provincial legislature Daylin Mitchell has noted with concern the 80% decrease in train usage over the past eight years.

Mitchell said this equated to 550 000 people having sought alternative means of transport, and so the R1.4 billion set aside to restore the Central Line, as promised by President Cyril Ramaphosa, has not materialised despite the pledge for the line to be up and running by September last year.

Mitchell said shortly after the consolidation of the railways under the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), there had been a constant downward trend in usage, which has been exacerbated by looting and mismanagement.

He said multiple changes to the executive structures and corruption scandals had immobilised the chances of correcting the situation.

“Apart from prevalent institutional problems, crime has significantly hampered the railway’s ability to function as intended. Since 2015, arson attacks have plagued the rail stock based in Cape Town, which has reduced Prasa’s capacity to carry passengers, particularly at peak-time hours,” he said.

Mitchell said in a four-year period 140 train carriages had been torched, which had resulted in only 33 train sets working in the Western Cape.

Prasa spokesperson Bane Ndlovu said they had experienced a downward spiral in performance, which had also affected the Western Cape. He said their response could be demonstrated by a reduction in train trips, patronage and fare revenue, high failure rates, and the high rate of rail incidents.