Metrorail gets more trains back on tracks

METRORAIL says there has been a great improvement in the number of train sets in operation compared with last year.

“We are currently operating 48 train sets which is an improvement from where we came down last year, being 36-37 train sets.

“We last year visited our contractors to get a commitment that now we are going to bring additional train sets back into the system,” said Metrorail Western Cape regional manager Richard Walker. Walker and Western Cape Transport and Public Works MEC Donald Grant and mayoral committee member for transport Felicity Purchase, held a first quarterly briefing conference on the progress of the Rail Enforcement Unit (REU).

The unit which is jointly funded by the Western Cape Government, the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) and the city council was launched by Transport Minister Blade Nzimande in October as a force multiplier to bolster the Western Cape’s fight against metal theft and crimes in rail precincts.

Since its launch, the unit has participated in 133 joint operations and made 166 arrests, confiscated hundreds of meters of cabling, dangerous weapons, and other items, said Walker.

He said plans were to bring about 60 train sets back into the system between March and April.

“There has never been a situation where we stopped bringing back coaches into the service, it was just that we had a situation where losses to arson and vandalism just outstripped the number of coaches we were working to bring back,” he said.