The arrest of two men and the recovery of suspected stolen Transnet railway infrastructure worth about R10m at a scrap metal yard in Qonce have shone a spotlight on the vandalism that continues to cripple rail services.
This as the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) and Transnet spend millions repairing damaged infrastructure before new electric commuter trains can be introduced in KuGompo City.
The arrests were made in Ndevana, Qonce, last week.
The ongoing battle against theft and vandalism along the rail corridor between Ntabozuko and KuGompo City has delayed upgrades and forced Prasa to operate a reduced commuter service.
On Thursday, police spokesperson Captain Hazel Mqala said officers acted on information before conducting a search at the scrapyard.
Police found two men, aged 25 and 35, at the premises, where Transnet officials identified infrastructure belonging to the rail operator.
The recovered items included 49 rolls of overhead track equipment, 18 railway rails weighing about 40kg each, four transformer batteries and a bag containing damaged copper.
“The suspects were arrested and charged with possession of suspected stolen property,” Mqala said.
The suspects appeared in the Qonce magistrate’s court on July 17.
The 25-year-old was released on bail, while the 35-year-old scrapyard owner remains in custody and is expected back in court on July 28.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Nelson Mandela Day event in Mdantsane on Thursday, Prasa Group CEO Hishaam Emeran said theft and vandalism remained among the biggest threats facing passenger rail services.
Though the rail infrastructure is owned by Transnet, Emeran said Prasa had invested heavily in protecting the network as it prepared to introduce a new fleet of modern electric commuter trains in the Eastern Cape.
“We have certainly rolled out a very aggressive security strategy to address what we’ve seen happening in the past.
“So the first phase of that was to deploy more physical security on the ground.
“We’re now busy with the second phase where we’re going to be rolling out technology like CCTV, drones and so forth.
“Already in the last three to four years, you’ve seen a reduction of over 75% in terms of theft and vandalism.
“The problem has not gone away. There are still hotspots that we are targeting and we’re working very closely with our law enforcement partners like the police.”
Emeran said the long-term plan was to replace the ageing yellow commuter trains with the modern blue fleet already operating in other parts of the country.
However, significant work was still required to upgrade the Eastern Cape rail network.
“The important thing is we do have trains running in the Eastern Cape, both in Buffalo City and Gqeberha.
“We have deployed the upgraded yellow fleet on these lines, but the medium-term plan is to roll out modern new trains.
“It will take a bit of time because it’s a slightly different design in terms of the traction that we must deal with in the Eastern Cape,” he said.
Years of cable theft and vandalism have forced Prasa to drastically reduce commuter services.
Before widespread vandalism, Prasa operated 18 commuter train services daily between Ntabozuko and KuGompo City, in both directions throughout the day.
Damage to the rail infrastructure forced the agency to cut services to just four morning trains departing Ntabozuko at 4.15am, 5.15am, 6.15am and 8.30am.
Because only one line is operational in many sections, trains cannot travel in opposite directions simultaneously, forcing commuters to wait for a train to complete its journey before another can depart.
Prasa spokesperson Mimi Katsuyo said the agency welcomed the arrests.
“This will send a strong message to the criminals to stop vandalising infrastructure as the law enforcement agencies are now taking action.”
She said vandalism surged after the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing the agency to rely on diesel locomotives at significant cost.
Katsuyo said the province would initially receive hybrid diesel-electric trains before eventually transitioning to fully electric blue trains once the network had been completely restored.
“For the Eastern Cape, because of the network infrastructure challenges, they are looking at bringing diesel-electric multiple units that will allow the trains to operate using diesel.
“Then, when we are fully electrified, they can switch and use electricity,” she said.
Prasa is now working towards restoring its full timetable of 18 weekly commuter services, including four weekend trains.
For many commuters, however, the reduced service has meant longer journeys and higher transport costs.
One Mdantsane commuter said missing one of the limited train departures often meant having to take a bus or taxi into KuGompo City at far greater expense.
“The train schedule is also not good in terms of my working times,” the commuter said.
Another commuter, Noyise, said the train remained the cheapest mode of transport.
“When I miss the train because of the limited times, I am forced to use a taxi, and this is a financial impact on me because it is R12 to use a train.”
Cosatu provincial secretary Mkhawulela Maleki said the federation welcomed the plan to increase the number of trains.
“On average, many workers spend up to 40% of their wages on transport.
“Putting more trains back on the line will assist to reduce the percentage of income workers spend on transport to and from work because train fares are heavily subsidised. “
EFF provincial secretary and MPL Simthembile Madikizela welcomed the plans to increase train services.
“The decision by Prasa to increase the number of trains is welcomed, but we can’t say it’s enough. There is still a lot that needs to be done,” he said.
Daily Dispatch
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