Cape Town — The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has confirmed its intentions to run the Central line in Cape Town once again, as plans are made to relocate households living along the line.
PRASA said the line could be up and running again by the end of the year. The line was forced to close due to eleven stations affected by illegal occupation, which forced train services to cut down along one of Cape Town’s busiest train routes, eNCA reported.
“Last year we had people who were occupying the line between Laanga and Philippi, and that precluded us from recovering the remaining last eleven stations. Seven stations from Philippi to Chris Hani, and three stations from Philippi to Kapteinsklip. These communties are going to have a train service by the end of this year,” Raymond Maseko, PRASA Western Cape, said.
[CENTRAL LINE RELOCATION] The Central Line Project Management Committee reporting back to the affected communities on the progress made with the relocation of the households occupying the Central Line and plans to reopen the services. pic.twitter.com/S1AushnxMQ
— PRASA Group (@PRASA_Group) March 12, 2024
PRASA plan to relocate over 5 000 households that are currently encroaching the central line, across 2 phases. It said it plans to invest R643 million to rehabilitate the railway infrastructure, SA Gov News said.
In an effort to relocate the families, the Central Line Relocation Project Management Committee (PMC) convened a meeting with affected communities on Tuesday to provide updates on the relocation of households illegally occupying the Central Line and the progress of the railway corridor recovery efforts.
PRASA said Phase 1 of the relocation focuses on approximately 1 245 households around the Langa station. Phase 2, which covers around 3 950 households in Nyanga, Philippi, and Khayelitsha, is pending land acquisition and statutory procedures.
“The PMC reaffirmed its commitment to engaging closely with affected communities, addressing concerns raised in the meeting and providing regular updates on the relocation progress. Ngwako Makaepea, Chairperson of the PMC, emphasized the importance of community input in fostering constructive dialogue and collaborative solutions that benefit all stakeholders,” PRASA said.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
