Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa Marks Milestone with Trainset 200 Delivery and Southern Line Re-signalling

On 23 April 2024, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, the Minister of Transport, officially commemorated the delivery of trainset 200 and the re-signalling of the Southern Line in Cape Town. Organised by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), the event was attended by the National Department of Transport, members of PRASA’s Board of Control and Management, and representatives from Gibela, among others.

Gibela, comprising OEM Alstom (70%) and Ubumbano Rail (30%), is the consortium responsible for manufacturing 600 Alstom-designed XTrapolis Mega EMU trains, equating to 3600 coaches. These trains are fondly referred to as Isitimela Sabantu, which translated to English means ‘the people’s train’.

In her speech, the minister noted, “There is a belief among so many of us that the sufficient provision of public transport will benefit our broader ideal of a nation that works, an idea which sits central to our plan to revive the economy, make a serious dent in unemployment, improve the standards of people’s lives and place the building blocks for a better life for all.”

In highlighting the historical challenges of PRASA, coupled with the devastating impact of theft and vandalism of the PRASA system nationwide during Covid, the minister touched on the Agency’s turnaround plan, which included:

• A Rolling-stock Fleet Renewal Programme: Procurement of 600 new modern high-tech trains, along with a maintenance contract to ensure a consistent supply of spare parts, reigniting reliability and comfort.
• Station Modernisation: PRASA has identified 135 stations with high commuter traffic within the modernisation corridors of the rail network. These stations are slated for enhancements, aiming to elevate the customer experience.
• Signalling Upgrade: PRASA has embarked on a process to replace all existing signalling interlocking, comprising mainly obsolete mechanical and electromechanical systems, with electronic interlocking as the technology of choice.

To date, PRASA has partially recovered and reopened 31 of the 40 corridors it operates, and work to revitalise the passenger rail service continues. In the Western Cape, which encompasses 14 lines across five municipalities, PRASA has partially restored 12 of the 14 lines.

“The Southern Line, which we visited this morning, reopened post-Covid on the 7th of July 2020. Of the 39 stations on the corridor, only 13 were operational, from Cape Town to Retreat. As of now, all 39 stations are operational, with a full train service,” said the Minister.

To date, PRASA has transported over 13 million commuters, with more than half (57%) travelling on the Southern Line.

Progress is being made to recover the Central Line from Philippi to Nolungile, and trains are expected to run by May this year, adding to the services already operating from Cape Town to Nyanga on the Central Line. “At that time, trains will be running from Cape Town to Nyanga and to Nolungile,” the Minister added.

In updating on the progress of signalling, the minister said, “The signalling of our railway infrastructure is one of the cornerstones of efficient and safe train movement. In 2008, PRASA embarked on a journey to upgrade its nearly obsolete signalling system installed in the 1950s.”

Regrettably, when PRASA suffered massive theft and vandalism of its rail infrastructure, the newly installed state-of-the-art electronic interlocking and signalling equipment was not spared.

PRASA is currently reinstalling stolen and vandalised signalling equipment—a project that will, unfortunately, take both time and significant investment. Nationally, PRASA has re-signalled six of the lines recovered. These are:

• Mabopane – Pretoria
• Saulsville – Pretoria
• Pretoria – De Wildt
• Cape Town – Simon’s Town
• Mutual – Langa
• Umlazi – Reunion

The minister highlighted, “PRASA is installing a state-of-the-art signalling system, including PRASA train control systems in line with the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). This will enable PRASA to run trains more efficiently, improving service frequency and enhancing the safe passage of trains across the network.”

On the Southern Line, PRASA has re-signalled 24 of the 39 stations from Cape Town to Simon’s Town. This has allowed train speeds to increase from 30km/hr to 75km/hr, enabling commuters to reach their destinations much faster. “When there was no signalling on the line, trains were running every 90 minutes, and the trip to Cape Town station took one hour and ten minutes. PRASA has reduced the journey time to 45 minutes, with trains running every 20 minutes,” said the Minister.

In real terms, the impact is that PRASA has now increased the number of trains it runs during peak times from three to nine.

“We are improving efficiency and ensuring that PRASA delivers a reliable and punctual commuter rail service that commuters can rely on, enhancing on-time performance and minimising disruptions,” the minister stated.

Commenting on the signalling project currently underway for the KwaZulu Natal region, the minister says, “The signalling installed nationally is the latest, state-of-the-art and compatible with Automatic Train Protection (ATP) systems, as well as GSM-R/FRMCS digital radio network communication.” (Note: GSM-R stands for Global System for Mobile Communications – Railways, and FRMCS is the Future Railway Mobile Communication System.)

The minister further remarked on PRASA’s progress with the installation of its own PRASA Train Control System (PTCS) for the KwaZulu Natal region. This system will align the operations of the region with modern urban railways around the world.

PRASA Rolling Stock Fleet Renewal

Gibela has manufactured 214 trains, with train number 200 being a particular highlight. “Today, we celebrate our progress towards the goal of 600 trains,” said the minister.

According to the minister, the Rolling Stock Fleet Renewal Programme is anticipated to create approximately 1,500 direct and 8,000 indirect jobs over the 10-year period of the contract. As part of the first phase of the programme, 1,631 direct jobs were created during the construction of the R1 billion factory, and Gibela has now employed over 1,198 full-time employees. “In addition to the construction jobs, Gibela has employed a total of 1,205 people for both manufacturing and maintenance activities, with 37% of these individuals coming from the immediate communities,” said the minister.

The minister further noted that “skills development and knowledge transfer are key for this government.” Around 20,000 training programmes have been initiated to enable skill transfers and employee development from top management to unskilled workers.

In 2019, Gibela, in partnership with the Small Enterprise Development Agency and the City of Ekurhuleni, established a multi-sector business incubator, which opened its doors in 2020 in the Kwa-Thema Township.

To date, there are 140 SMMEs that have been trained, mentored and coached. Additionally, 193 SMMEs are accessing Business Development Support, with 100% being black-owned businesses, 46% being women-owned businesses, and 68% being youth-owned businesses.

Gibela also provides bursaries for universities and TVETs, internships, learnerships, apprenticeships, Railway Introduction Courses, and other relevant programmes. “Through these interventions, we are aiding in nurturing the next generation of skilled and capable individuals who will not only improve their own futures but also the futures of their families, communities, and the wider society,” the minister added.