There’s a relief for passenger railway services as Metrorail announced that the line between Naledi and Johannesburg will be open on Monday.
The service will make use of Metrorail’s new electric modular units train sets for the first time.
As the service is expected to be effective from November 28, the Metrorail train is set to stop at the Naledi, Merafe, Inhlazane, Ikwezi, Dube, Phefeni, Phomolong, Mzimhlophe, New Canada, Longdale, Croesus, Langlaagte, Braamfontein and Johannesburg stations.
Engineering News has it that there will be new conditions imposed on commuters using “The People’s Trains”, as the parent company of Metrorail the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has dubbed it, and these conditions include no smoking, weapons, littering, eating or drinking, churches, trading or gambling is allowed within the trains.
Metrorail agency has also advised that anyone breaking the rules will be liable and subjected to a heavy fine.
The EMU train sets were built by the rail transport consortium Gibela, which consists of French rail entity Alstom with 70% ownership and Ubumbano Rail with 30% ownership.
Gibela is known for building trains for the execution of PRASA’s rolling stock fleet renewal programme.
PRASA had budgeted R124 billion for the entire renewal project over 20 years and the EMU trains run at 120 km/h and have the capacity to carry 1 200 passengers.
The six-cart trains only move when the doors are closed and are fitted with surveillance cameras and air-conditioning.
PRASA is working on upgrading other parts of its network as it plans to slowly phase out the older Metrorail coaches.
A former train hawker, Thabiso Maake, said the return of the service is not helpful to him as he will not be able to make a living.
“For me, the return of the train will not change anything because I still won’t be allowed to sell inside,” he said to The Citizen.
“So the train being there or not makes no difference for me.
“The train used to be a source of income for many people and when it was shut down, we really struggled.”
