Last updated on 23/04/2022
The train does not stop in Soshanguve any longer. It gallops past the deserted Soshanguve station towards Mabopane, before making its way back again a while later. In another time, a different time, the trains stopped here always. There were always crowds, thousands of people waiting to take the train or getting off the train. But the train doesn’t stop here anymore…
Between 1992 and 1994 I took the train daily from Soshanguve station to school in Pretoria . Then during peak hour there was a train every five minutes, packed full with workers, scholars, traders, preachers, hawkers, police officers, soldiers and even tsotsis. Some daring commuters even hung dangerously between coaches or right at the head.
My regular train was the 09520 which usually rolled into Soshanguve station from Mabopane at 06h50 or on some days, the earlier train 09618 to Belle Ombre.
While travelling by train was the most affordable mode of transport for many commuters, it could be an equally frustrating experience. On your way to writing an exam – the train would suddenly stop in the middle of nowhere – then there was no communication between commuters and the authorities.
Whether the train would be moving in the next two minutes or two hours, it was just anybody’s guess. President Cyril Ramaphosa experienced this 27 years later, in 2019, when he was left stuck on a train with commuters on the Soshanguve – Mabopane line.
Ramaphosa’s train delay highlights commuter plight
The trains stopped moving along this line, just like in many parts of the country due to theft and vandalism of property during the hard covid-19 lockdown in 2020. The consequences of the halting of the rail service has been dire – a single trip to town that normally cost R7.50 by train, now costs R30 by taxi, a R60 return fare way beyond the reach of many workers, students and informal traders.
Now that the trains are running again, a single trip to town now costs R9.50. But the train doesn’t stop at all the stations, which like Soshanguve, were vandalised and are earmarked for repairs and upgrades. In the past a Putco bus service operated around the township, ferrying commuters to the Soshanguve station. That too is no longer in operation – to get to the train station in Mabopane commuters need to part with R15 for a single taxi trip.
But the Passenger Rail Agency of SA has made great strides and I was pleased recently to see one of the modern shiny blue trains galloping along the tracks to Mabopane. Back in Soshanguve last year, I was shocked to learn that commuters only had access to a limited diesel engine drawn train service.
The diesel engine is gone now and in its place runs the new age carriages that replaced the old ones that dehumanised commuters. For now the train does not stop at Soshanguve. The station did not escape the widespread vandalism of rail infrastructure. It’s a ghost town of sorts, once vibrant ticket offices have been stripped bare, windows broken, cables, zinc sheeting over the turnstiles. If promises by PRASA are anything to go by – the train will stop in Soshanguve again in the future.
PRASA said in a statement in January:
“Following relentless efforts since 2019 to rehabilitate and upgrade infrastructure in the Mabopane Corridor, the Railway Safety Regulator finally granted a No-Objection Notice allowing PRASA to commence operations with the new trains.
A programme to upgrade the infrastructure and implement necessary refurbishments was introduced in February 2020 following the President’s announcement of a R1.4 billion allocation for this purpose.
The Mabopane line has seen its fair share of challenges before the declaration of state of disaster and needed major infrastructure upgrades before the new trains could be deployed on this line.
We took a decision in 2019 to close down the line and accelerate the simultaneous rollout of infrastructure upgrades.
In recovering the vandalised Mabopane Corridor, of the R1.4 billion allocated to the project, over R700 million has been spent to date towards this project. This includes:
- R255million for substation work, for 14 substations. The upgraded substations will now allow for more trains to be added on to the system. Copper content has been reduced to make PRASA assets less attractive to criminals. The newly installed traction transformers are more energy efficient.
- 163km of Overhead Traction Equipment (OHTE) completed at a cost of R383 million.
- R38 million on Mabopane perimeter walling on Signal Equipment rooms
Station rehabilitation programme for 23 Station at a cost of R100million has commenced.
Currently, 5 stations are operational where repairs were done to bring the stations to basic functionality. A contractor has been appointed to erect high strength concrete walls around 31 critical buildings, at a cost of R50 million. Designs have been completed for the construction of a wall to protect the corridor.
As part of the station upgrade programme minor renovations were effected at 5 stations for basic functionality and these are currently operational:
• Mabopane Station;
• Pretoria North Station;
• Mountain View Station;
• Hercules Station, and
• Pretoria Station
Contractors have been appointed to rehabilitate an additional 6 stations and they will take occupation of the sites this week. The 6 stations are:
• Soshanguve
• Kopanong
• Akasiaboom
• Tailorshoop
• Garankuwa
• Dewildt
Of the total cost of R100million set aside for upgrades of 23 stations, R60million has already been committed and construction work is due to start before the end of January 2022. Procurement and work on the remainder of the stations will be undertaken and finalised during the course of this calendar year.
We saw the first of the new trains taking to the track on Monday, 17 January 2022. On the first day the service took off at a good start, although a number of teething problems were experienced.” -news@mukurukuru.co.za