The chief executive of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), Lucky Montana, has revealed that within three years many of South Africa’s trains will be too unsafe to carry passengers.
The announcement on June 19 came just hours before a Metrorail train collided with a stationary goods train at Fisantekraal station, Durbanville, Cape Town.
Paramedics treated one adult male for slight injuries, but around 500 passengers managed to escape unscathed.
The Metrorail train was travelling from Cape Town to Malmesbury when it struck the freight train, which had been waiting in a loop at Fisantekraal, but had not moved completely off the line.
Addressing Parliament, Mr Montana said the old trains would have to be scrapped within three years as they would become unsafe for commuters.
The average age of a train in South Africa currently stands at 40 years old.
“We have done a feasibility study. We can no longer upgrade or refurbish the coaches,” said Mr Montana.
“The country can’t afford to postpone the acquisition any longer. There has not been any investment in new rail rolling stock for over three decades. Now, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) plans to buy more than 7,200 new modern coaches – the equivalent of 900 eight-coach trains.”
About 65,000 jobs will be created with the acquisition of a new fleet of trains for South Africa.
The preferred bidder for the new trains would then be announced in November this year.
Mr Montana added: “We want modern, safe, energy efficient trains that can carry a huge capacity load for the next 40 years.”
