The trains are finally coming…
The vandalism of railway lines linking the Vaal Triangle to the Joburg metropolitan city and subsequent stoppage of movement has had multiple negative effects on commuters and business alike.
This was more evident when hundreds of frustrated workers failed to travel to the International Workers Day on Wednesday May 01 in Johannesburg due to hiked transport fares and unavailability of trains.
The assurance to resume the functioning of trains came from Metrorail spokeswoman Lilian Mofokeng while responding to the media enquiry sent to her by the Vaal Observer.
Her word comes as a relief for Vaal commuters and surrounding areas who had previously complained about the high cost of transport to Jozi.
Sipho Msimanga, a family man that used to be a hawker selling varied items inside trains, said the news of resumption of train operations come as sweet melody to his ears.
“When trains stopped moving not only commuters going to work were affected, there is also hundreds of hawkers whose livelihood depended on trains and who are now suffering with their families because there is no more income,” he said.
Adding hope that the situation will soon be resolved is the recent opening of the railway line from Joburg to Nancefield.
But without fixed timelines, commuters in the Vaal will still have to wait and bear the brunt of expensive transport to reach the city of gold.
The damage done to the Vaal railway line was mostly as a result of cable theft which is linked to the dodgy scrap metal industry.
Metrorail recently announced they have resumed operating in 31 lines out of 40.
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) boasts a new fleet state of the art blue and white trains. Mofokeng said: “Regarding your question below, I would like to point out that the rebuilding work toward Midway is currently underway. Service resumption will be communicated when all tests are concluded and Rail Safety regulatory approval is obtained,” she said.
Meanwhile Vaalies eagerly await the arrival of the new locomotives with the hope that the resumption of operations will ease the strain on their pockets.
