Cape’s train services off track.

Arson attacks decimating operations

THERE are currently 37 trains in operation in the Western Cape to accommodate approximately 500 000 passenger trips a day. Only eight of those trains are servicing commuters on the Central line. This is after approximately 16 cases of arson attacks on trains have been reported in the Western Cape in the last two months.

This information was revealed by Metrorail regional manager Richard Walker who accompanied Transport Minister Blade Nzimande; Transport MEC Donald Grant; and mayco member for transport and urban development Brett Herron on a walk-about at the Prasa depot at Paarden Eiland.

On his arrival at the depot Nzimande passed people burning copper cables. He said the Western Cape had the worst incidence of train attacks and this is why the national department became involved and expanded the train task force.

“Prasa spends a lot of money on security but it looks to me they’re not getting value for their money. I have decided that we must prioritise Cape Town. It’s clearly the worst situation. We’ve decided that

I HAVE DECIDED WE MUST PRIORITISE CAPE TOWN; IT’S CLEARLY THE WORST SITUATION (IN TERMS OF DAMAGE TO TRAINS)

the transport division must come to the Western Cape. We also want to listen to communities… not just their problems, but their ideas on what must be done,” said Nzimande.

The intervention came after two more train sets were set alight in Cape Town last week. Walker said that since October, 2015, there had been 29 incidents of train arson attacks and 126 coaches lost in the Western Cape.

“The impact is huge… we have had a number of cancellations on the Southern line. This has a knock-on effect in terms of overcrowding in the system and delays in the system as well. We have lost so much now that capacity is not enough to deal with losses in the system. That’s what we’ll address as a task team as well,” said Walker.

Nzimande said the City, the Province and the government assessed the damage and worked together to expand the task team dealing with train vandalism in the Cape.

Grant said there were new trains coming off the production line‚ but they couldn’t be brought here until there were facilities to service them and ensure they were not vandalised.

He said the team would look at what could be done in the short to medium term to secure the trains to ensure that money used to recover trains could be used to improve train infrastructure. “I’m told this train (set alight) was at least R30 million; it’s money we should be using to expand the service.”