Rail infrastructure gets renewed

Written by Gabi Khumalo

Government is investing R51 billion in the New Rolling Stock Programme - and the renewal of rail infrastructure and stations is their main priority.

“We are making notable progress with the implementation of the Pienaasrspoort to Pretoria rail project. We started this particular project with R345 million investment in order to promote rail infrastructure investment along the Pretoria-Pienaarspoort Corridor because it is a corridor, which carries a relatively high number of passengers of around 58 000 per weekday,” said Minister Dipuo Peters.

The minister was speaking during a Commuter Imbizo Programme held at in Mamelodi East recently.

Part of the work embarked on includes the construction of a new Green view station and doubling of the line between Greenview and Eerstefabrieke, as well as improvement of signalling system.

“Construction of the project is in progress…The construction of the station is already 95 percent complete.

“We are also upgrading both Mamelodi and Pienaarspoort stations existing station facilities such as the parking areas and pedestrian drop-off facilities. We are also lengthening the existing platform structure and the replacement of existing sub-standard pedestrian/bridges,” said the Minister.

Acting Group CEO of PRASA, Collins Letsoalo, said that the upgrading of the new train station at Pienaarspoort will include crossing level, pedestrian foot bridge, cross over bridge and fencing to prevent the number of incidents, where people get hit by trains and cable theft.

Lack of security at the station and late arrivals of trains were among the main concerns raised by the community members.