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The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mr Mxolisi Kaunda has commended PRASA and Transnet for speeding up repairs on the north coast corridor railway line which will resume operation on Monday (22/10/2018).
Kaunda received a briefing this morning from the management of both rail parastatals which confirmed that the repairs on the line which resulted in the suspensions of trains, will be completed by tomorrow. This pave way for the reinstatement of train operations on the corridor which includes areas such as Phoenix, Verulam, Tongaat and Stanger.
Kaunda has lauded PRASA and Transnet for working around the clock to ensure that the lines are fixed as a matter of urgency. “PRASA decided to suspend trains on the line because it was not safe for commuters and employees due to cable theft and aging infrastructure which affected time travelled by commuters. This threatened the lives of train drivers as trains were not arriving on time and causing commuters to be agitated,” said Kaunda.
He urged members of the community to work with PRASA and the police to apprehend criminals who continuously vandalise the infrastructure.
Kaunda also thanked members of the community, particularly train commuters for being patient while PRASA and Transnet was fixing the line. “As a caring government, PRASA took this drastic step to suspend trains because we wanted to ensure that commuters are safe and improve travel times,” said Kaunda.
The MEC has committed to convene regular follow-up meetings with the police, PRASA and Transnet to ensure that train operations are not disrupted in the province. He has also urged commuter forums to engage with passengers on a regular basis to unsure that there is constant flow of information.