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- Prasa indicated that Cape Town's problematic Central Line is expected to be reopened by the end of the year.
- This will, however, depend on whether the shack dwellers who have occupied the railway line relocate or not.
- Transport Minister Sindi Chikunga maintained that the full recovery of the line remains a top priority.
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has indicated that Cape Town's problematic Central Line will be reopened in December.
However, this will depend on whether the shack dwellers who have occupied parts of the railway line relocate or not.
The Central Line between Nyanga and Cape Town has been closed for about three years, after people built shacks on the railway line.
The line is only partially running, between Nyanga and Maitland, because negotiations are continuing regarding the relocation.
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Delivering her budget vote in Parliament on Wednesday, Transport Minister Sindi Chikunga said: "The full recovery of the Central Line in Cape Town remains our top-most priority."
The minister added that the cooperation between the national and the Western Cape departments of human settlement, the Housing Development Agency (HDA) and the City of Cape Town to relocate the illegal settlements on the rail reserve would enable them to achieve full recovery of the line.
She said:
Chikunga added that Prasa's capital expenditure was expected to increase from R12.5 billion to R12.9 billion.
"The portion of the transfers to the agency for operational expenditure increases from R7.2 billion to R7.5 billion in 2023/24," she added.
Responding to a recent parliamentary question by DA MPL Derrick America in the Western Cape legislature, Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie said the timelines set out by Prasa for the reopening of the entire Cape Town Central Line was December.
Mackenzie said Prasa was working toward a full restoration of the Central Line by then.
"However, this date is dependent on the relocation of illegal dwellings in the railway reserve between Philippi and Langa. The relocation of these dwellings is essential to rebuild the track along this section, as the infrastructure has been completely compromised," he said.
Mackenzie added that the mobility department was facilitating a temporary solution with Prasa and the City of Cape Town to clear the immediate railway envelope to allow trains to pass through.
"Prasa has also indicated that they are on track with their 'station restoration' programme along the Central Line. Contractors are on site, and they are making good progress in rebuilding the stations to a serviceable condition," the MEC said.
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Meanwhile, activist Loyiso Nkohla was killed in a hail of bullets at Philippi railway station last month.
It's understood that Nkohla was targeted for his role in talks to clear Metrorail's Central Line, where families had built their homes.
Prasa spokesperson Andiswa Makanda previously told News24 that the relocation of the settlements on the railway line was the remaining obstacle to the full rehabilitation of services on the Central Line.
News24 previously reported that Prasa was negotiating with the families living on the railway line to move their homes back slightly so trains could still use part of the track, while the government tried to secure about 40 hectares of land to resettle them.
Those living on the railway line are expected to be relocated in two phases, with more than 1 250 structures near Langa station, 3 680 informal dwellers at Philippi station, and 250 dwellers at the Khayelitsha station.
Makanda said Prasa had set aside R1.2 billion to recover the Central Line.
