Creecy witnesses improvements to Merebank-Chatsworth line in Durban

11 October 2024 - 19:25 By Mfundo Mkhize
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Minister of transport Barbra Creecy and eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba inspected the refurbished train stations at Havenside, Bayview, Westcliff, Chatsglen, Bottlebrush and Crossmoor in Durban.
Minister of transport Barbra Creecy and eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba inspected the refurbished train stations at Havenside, Bayview, Westcliff, Chatsglen, Bottlebrush and Crossmoor in Durban.
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU

Transport minister Barbara Creecy is optimistic the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) will be able to realise its lofty goals of reaching 600 billion passenger trips per year by 2029.

Creecy was speaking during a visit to the Merebank station in Durban on Friday.

“The contribution of eThekwini should be 126-billion (passenger trips) a year. At the moment we are running 13 million. Nationally by the end of this financial year we should be running 40-million,” said Creecy.

She was accompanied by eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba and senior officials who took a train ride from Merebank to Chatsworth.

During their commute, Creecy got to see the facelift to the five stations which included ticket sales offices, ablution facilities and weather protection infrastructure.

“It’s a mountain to climb. What will take us there is the signalling modern technology. This is a pioneer line,” she said.

Merebank Train Station is one of the newly refurbished stations that Transport Minister Barbara Creecy visited to inspect the work done on it.
Merebank Train Station is one of the newly refurbished stations that Transport Minister Barbara Creecy visited to inspect the work done on it.
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU

“We have spent R800m in the city of eThekwini so far on this work.”

The work on the Crossmoor station line commenced last year. The agency is running a limited service due to the ongoing works.

“This recovery is not an easy task. It requires replacing rails and dealing with the flood damage ... we have even had to rebuild a substation to ensure there is adequate power.

“All the stations were vandalised. You have seen the extensive work that we have done on the particular line,” said Creecy.

Prasa’s head of project Victor Stemmer said: “We have two lines in this service but at this point we have only just recovered one. The second line is targeted to be operational at least by the end of next month.”

Creecy said the recovery was by no means an easy task as there were a host of challenges in the Durban area which included the encroachment of communities in Chatsworth near the rail reserve

“It obviously poses enormous danger for the communities. If a child runs onto the power lines it could be a tragedy in the making,” said Creecy.

Prasa programme manager Gugu Mbonambi said rehabilitating the station was a big task compounded by the growing vegetation on the train lines.

“When we started scoping the work it was very very dense. It was difficult but we were a determined team. The rail was also dislocated from the original position due to vandalism. There was a lot of water due to the flooding which forced the service providers to drain water,” said Mbonambi.

Plans are on the cards for the recovery of the South Coast line which is set to commence in 2026.

“The work is already out to tender and we hope to start the work in 2026. Clearly that is a very important step for us,” said Creecy.

TimesLIVE


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.