Elation all round as trains move again
Financial relief for passengers with relaunch of new blue trains
The newly launched blue trains have brought joy and much-needed relief to many Soweto commuters who have been feeling the financial pinch since the service was stopped in March 2020.
In their effort to survive within forbidding levels of the cost of living, some people had to forgo little luxuries like eating red meat and cancel DStv subscriptions to be able to afford much higher taxi fares to get to work.
The key Naledi-Park Station Metrorail corridor ferries many thousands of Soweto residents not only to work but to schools and colleges in Johannesburg. It began operating again on Monday following suspension for repair work on a badly damaged rail network.
Despite the return of the trains, the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) is offering a hugely reduced service with fewer trains. The first train of the day leaves Naledi Station at 4.45am and the last one to arrive at the Soweto station from Johannesburg will do so at 7.30pm.
However, the new trains are smarter and more comfortable as they boast digital screens with audio dispensing useful info during the train’s trip. The windows are permanently locked as each coach is fitted with an air conditioner. If any door is not closed, the train does not move. Security guards are permanently stationed inside the coach and at the stations.
This is a huge improvement from they days of rowdy behaviour in the old, unguarded yellow and grey trains in which some passengers would choose to force open doors while the train was in motion.
According to Prasa, the new upgrades cost R334m for fixing the electrical infrastructure and R107m for repairing the badly vandalised stations.
A Soweto passenger Njabulo Sibiya said life had been tough for train commuters like himself deprived of the service.
Getting to his workplace in Randburg from his home in Dube, cost him R700 a week using two taxis to and fro. It was an extremely high expense on his salary as a security guard.
“I could not do anything at home because most of my salary went to transport. My family had to learn to live without eating beef because it was too expensive. It was so tough I even considered resigning but could not do so because I am the only one working,” he said.
What made things worse is that he still had to pay R1,500 for school transport for his children aged nine, 12 and 14. Transport costs took close to 70% of the household income.
“I thought of sending my children back home in KwaZulu-Natal because the costs there were going to be low. It was the toughest time of my life financially.”
He was also forced to suspend construction of his fiveroom home in KwaMhlabuyalingana in KZN.
Sibiya said he was relieved to see to see the return of the commuter trains.
“We will protect these trains as commuters. They are clean and safe. We cannot go back to how things were,” he said.
He will now spend R207 a week on transport to work.
Lebogang Chabedi of Phiri, Soweto, works for a supermarket in Alberton. He too used to spend R700 a week on taxis but now he’ll spend only R168.
“When the train stopped it became tough. I was even forced to downgrade my DStv package to the lowest package which costs R30. I had to do this for survival.”
Informal traders who sell outside train stations are also smiling from ear to ear because of the return of the train service. Lerato Sehume, who sells meals at Naledi Station, said she started working there two months ago. She makes R1,200 a day. But just on the first day after the return of trains, she had already made R2,000 by 4.30pm.
“I believe the more the trains rollout continues, the more people will come to the station, which will be good business for me. They should increase the number of trains as soon as possible,” Sehume said.
She supports her two children with her business.
Makhekhe Chauke, who sells snacks and vegetables outside the Dube Station, was also grateful.
“I have a family to feed. I have been selling snacks and veggies here even without the trains around. Now things should improve with people using trains.” Chauke has been making about R200 per day without the trains and is hoping to get more.
The next major corridors to be restored by Prasa will be Leralla to Johannesburg, which serves Tembisa, and Pretoria to Kaalfontein.