Posted on 12 December 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Tubular Track (Pty) Ltd recently completed a successful project for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). “We were subcontracted to deviate the existing Metrorail lines at Burnett Street in the heart of Pretoria, to accommodate the new Gautrain line, which is to run alongside at this location,” the company’s contracts director Craig Tengstrom [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 December 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Beneath a severely understated headline “SA trains soon steaming uphill”, James-Brent Styan writes in Beeld: “Passenger train services in South Africa can collapse within the next two years”. He quotes Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) CEO Lucky Montana saying the assets are old and falling apart. “On top of this, there is too [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 December 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
One of the biggest challenges facing the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) is the developing of a new financial model. “It is critically important,” CEO Lucky Montana told Beeld’s James-Brent Styan, “that a plan be developed between the national treasury and the Department of Transport, to make it possible to realise capital aims [...] [...more]
Posted on 21 November 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Cape Town commuters who have to work over weekends have been left stranded without notice because Metrorail cancelled the suburban train service, according to a Cape Argus report. No advance notice was given, no announcements made and no alternative buses provided. The paper was told that maintenance work for the Soccer World Cup in June [...] [...more]
Posted on 29 October 2009 by Station Master
The Railway Safety Regulator has noted the closure of the portion of the line between Pienaarspoort and Eerste-Fabrieke by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) earlier in the week. The blatant criminal behaviour of some commuters on this line linked to reported incidents of train hijackings where unruly crowds would force the train driver [...] [...more]
Posted on 09 October 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
On 17 September, quoting from the latest publicity handout issued by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), we noted reference to “ the new, state-of-the-art Cape Town station,” and the confident assertion: “Our new and refurbished trains, buses and stations will blow you away.” Our correspondent Johan Badenhorst comments: “If Prasa continues to host dirty and [...] [...more]
Posted on 02 October 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
On 30 September 2009, the Department of Transport’s (DoT) Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) launched a new “mobile police station coach initiative” associated with long-distance rail travel on Shosholoza Meyl. It is aimed at improving and ensuring the safety of travellers and in particular soccer fans in 2010. “It will promote a positive customer [...] [...more]
Posted on 21 September 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Quoted extensively in a Financial Mail in-depth feature by Matthew Hill, Ian Fife and Thebe Mabanga, deputy transport minister Jeremy Cronin says: “There is a huge loss of productivity because of traffic congestion in the country, and it’s getting worse. Public transport was only a miscellaneous item on government’s agenda. We’ve been slow to put [...] [...more]
Posted on 20 September 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Reply by South African minister of transport S Ndebele on 10 September to questions posed in the National Assembly: Mr S B Farrow (DA) asked the minister: Whether the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) intends building a railway line from Motherwell [Port Elizabeth] to the Coega Industrial Development Zone; if not, why not; if so, [...] [...more]
Posted on 08 September 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Historic Rail Association of Southern Africa (HRASA) chairman Chris Janisch reports – “Since receiving our general mandate to act as the recognised liaison and negotiating body of heritage railways in South Africa, HRASA has slowly but surely started to function as was originally intended. Within the organisation, a proper structure has been set up involving the [...] [...more]
