‘It has ended in tears’ – Train passengers from Joburg to Cape Town forced to take the bus

Despite African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula hailing the resumption of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (Prasa) Shosholoza Meyl as a “railway renaissance”, the train failed to complete its trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

The ANC-led government’s interventions to achieve a railway renaissance, the positioning of rail as a key contributor to economic transformation, and the reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions, are clearly articulated. 👌🏽 https://t.co/aSBZwdw0fd

— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) December 7, 2023

‘It has ended in tears’

The long-distance passenger train service officially recommenced this week, just in time for the festive season, following a two-year hiatus.

The main line passenger service (MLPS) from Johannesburg to Queenstown, Musina, Durban and Cape Town was suspended in 2021 due to operational and network infrastructure challenges.

ALSO READ: Prasa makeover: Inside the R2.1 billion investment to get rail back on track

On Wednesday, the train travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town departed from Park Station for its 30-hour journey to the Western Cape.

However, passengers had to get off the train and complete their trip by bus on Friday due to theft of overhead wire cables.

“It has ended in tears. I’m being told that after Wellington, there’s been cable theft, so our journey ends there. We’ll be taking a bus all the way to Cape Town from there,” one of the passengers said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Hi, thank you for giving us a chance. We will work hard with our stakeholders to improve our service,vandalism, and cable theft is a serious issue, and all hands are on deck to resolve the issue. Thank you once again🙌

— Main Line Passenger Services (@ServicesMain) December 8, 2023

According to Prasa, overhead wires were stolen between Kraaifontein and Muldersvlei just after midnight, affecting the Wellington metro service.

The train arrived in Wellington, which is 45-minute away from Cape Town, despite operational and infrastructure challenges.

“Prasa, Transport and Transnet Freight Rail will engage on how to effectively deal with the cable theft,” the rail agency said.

Social media users have since reacted to the incident, including Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema, who labelled the train service as “a flop, PR gone wrong”.

Wellington to Cape Town is 72km, Prasa did well on this first trip back. They need to fix the rest of the route for a complete trip by train.

PRASA management is on the right track👏🏿 https://t.co/betP4rExEj

— Sonwabile (@Qoboqobo4) December 8, 2023

No amount of PR will make me take the shosholoza meyl ever again. Soze!!

— AJ (@Abiathar_m) December 8, 2023

My timeline is full of patriotic South Africans who are disappointed & dismayed by the shosholoza meyl story 🥹🥹🥹

— Tebogo (@john_skimo) December 8, 2023

Love the transparency and commitment to bring passenger trains back. Rooting for you @PRASA_Group 🫡 https://t.co/PBsx7hiyVX

— Kwanele 🍍 (@___Kwanele) December 8, 2023

Bring back the Railway Police…

— Maggs Naidu ᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠ (@maggsnaidu) December 8, 2023

This is sad actually. After so much effort by PRASA criminals had to come and spoil a good thing. 🚮

— Ndukenhle Z (@vho_mli) December 8, 2023

Why not use a diesel locomotive

— nick nthala (@nicknthala) December 8, 2023

Damn, so close, yet so far. ☹️

— Richard Spoor (@Richard_Spoor) December 8, 2023

Challenges

Meanwhile, Prasa has since noted some challenges that may affect the train service including a shortage of diesel locomotives.

“Some of those available are unreliable. This may result in delays and in some cases, even cancellations. Contingency plans are in place for trips on all four corridors where the main line passenger service operates,” Prasa said in a statement on Wednesday.

The agency also highlighted that the condition and quality of the infrastructure have been a concern and may impact the travel experience.

READ MORE: How to steal a railway line and stay out of jail

Despite the challenges, Prasa said passenger safety remains its top priority.

“Prasa has implemented enhanced safety and security protocols to improve passenger safety on our trains. Our MLPS trains will have visible security on board the trains and at platforms to ensure all passengers feel safe.

“Passenger feedback will be critical as we accelerate the roll-out of the MLPS service and shape its future. We call on our passengers to share their experiences, concerns, and suggestions.

“Prasa is committed to delivering a service that meets the expectations of its stakeholders, especially passengers. The resumption of the MLPS service is a critical step in Prasa’s recovery of all aspects of passenger rail. The agency is determined to deliver a reliable, safe, comfortable long-distance train experience,” the agency added.