Metrorail says train services between Bellville and Cape Town will resume on Monday after being closed for two years.
Metrorail closed the line in March 2020 when Lockdown Level Five was first implemented.
SERVICE LOADING : #NorthernLineCT
Mutual- Bellville, infrastructure and maintenance work is progressing steadily. A timetable for the line will be published once all systems are in place, while various testing takes place to ensure that its safe for operations. @PRASA_Group pic.twitter.com/174yn02pj5
— Metrorail W/Cape (@CapeTownTrains) March 13, 2022
Spokesperson Nana Zenani says trial operations without passengers will start today before reopening for passengers on Wednesday.
Zenani says a new operating timetable will also be introduced soon.
“All the stations on that line will be functional except for Parow station which has been badly vandalised and as a result, it will take longer to finalise. Our efforts are to bring back all rail services in all of the corridors as we bring them up post COVID-19 closures,” Zenani adds.
Vandalism
Last week, additional security measures at various sub-stations were implemented following the theft and vandalism of Eskom cables.
Metrorail in Cape Town said the vandalism of crucial infrastructure is aimed at crippling the service.
Zenani said a cable that feeds electricity to the main sub-station was deliberately cut twice last week.
She added that the train service had already been hard hit by the implementation of rolling blackouts, leaving many commuters stranded.
In October 2021, the Metrorail Management and Traffic Control Centre in Bellville was launched.
The centre sees the automation of passenger rail operations, improve on-time performance, and most importantly, improved safety.
More details in the report from October 2021 below:
