Question NW1255 to the Minister of Transport
29 June 2021 - NW1255
Sithole, Mr KP to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)Whether he has adopted any strategies to rebuild the crumbling rail infrastructure, especially in major cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg, since many persons were not using public transportation for some time during the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) how does he intend to protect existing infrastructure from further deterioration and destruction?
Reply:
1. There are plans in place to rehabilitate the rail infrastructure in various corridors across the country. In the City of Cape Town specifically, the Central Line Corridor which carries the majority of residents in the city from their places of residence to work is a flagship project announced by the President where the entire line is earmarked for major rehabilitation covering the following:
- Removal of illegal settlements from rail servitude;
- Rehabilitation of the Power Supply System;
- Rehabilitation of the Perway Infrastructure;
- Modernisation of the Signalling Infrastructure;
- Repair of station facilities for customers.
Apart from the Central Line the following corridors are also earmarked for resumption of services and rehabilitation of infrastructure:
- Cape Town – Simonstown (WNB & ATL)
- Cape Town – Strand
In Johannesburg a number of corridors are also being rehabilitated for the MTEF period:
- Leralla – Johannesburg
- Johannesburg – Naledi
- Residensia – New Canada
- Kwesine – Germiston
- Randfontein – Johannesburg
2. In order to protect the existing infrastructure from further deterioration and destruction the following preventative measures will also be put in place to address recurrence:
- Close off the corridor through Walling
- Provision of Street to Street access to pedestrians to cross the railway line
- Upgrade of the Security Interventions across the corridor incorporating the community involvement approach where community members volunteer their services to provide intelligence to the SAPS, CPF and PRASA Protection Services on crime incidents along our corridors.