Metrorail's delay

Metrorail missed their own deadline for reporting back, following an announcement by the former regional manager of Metrorail Western Cape, Mthuthuzeli Swartz, on Tuesday 25^th March 2014 that safety critical interventions will be implemented to stabilize the rail service.

Back in March I wrote in my CapeTown Trains is Metrorail’s eToll that the interventions have no time-frames and deadlines for implementation.  

In personal interactions and in the media Metrorail then said these interventions will be implemented over the next four months. I still said back then, there are some interventions that should be implemented immediately, starting with better communication.

Now before I get to some of the interventions, Swartz left the failing (yes failing) rail service and Richard Walker, no stranger to the Western Cape, came in the hot seat. Walker came just as Prasa announced ticket prices will be increasing and this frustrated commuters even more.

Back in March, Metrorail got a R233million life-jacket to implement critical safety interventions and stabilize the service. This included:

• Track circuits and use of suitable technology
• Overhaul of track transformers
• Building of closer-by station for commuters in the Wallacedene area in Kraaifontein was added to planning
• Upgrading of a few stations
• A second train to Worcester was in the negotiation process in March, as well as using the Shosholoza Meyl to alleviate capacity constraints.
• Metrorail’s sms system would be resuscitated

The interventions came a few days after Transport Minister Dipuo Peters took a train from Kraaifontein to Cape Town station. It is interesting to note than that issues shared with the minister by regular commuters (as per her press release then) but did not form part of Metrorail’s interventions included:

• Dirty trains
• Broken windows
• Lack of ticket verification
• Security in peak times

Metrorail have been ignoring a few questions as well:

• Why did they wait until a second train derailed and damaged tracks leading to the closure of platforms at Cape Town, before interventions were implemented?
• Why can no one take responsibility?
• Why did Prasa wait (on the minister to listen to commuters) before more than R233 million was made available for urgent interventions?
• Did a certain manager not do their job to report tracks need urgent upgrades?
• Why can’t Metrorail/Prasa admit that they have failed to deliver an effective reliable rail service to communicate?

From a commuter perspective what was done?

• Trains are still delayed due to faulty track circuits
• Only building one can see is that of the new Operation Centre in Bellville (yes a new Ops Centre is being build there – that deserves its own blog).
• A few stations were upgraded
• The Worcester train is more faulty leaving commuters to travel more by bus, than a second train.
• The sms-system is being used again, but sms’ seems to be more delayed at times than trains.
• Trains are still dirty, windows broken and sometimes you even have to pack a swimsuit for a commute.
• There is still no security on trains, something I personally have been asking for more than a year now. I was told Metrorail is engaging with SAPS on the matter, it’s been more than twelve months – two ticket price hikes later and still no response from Metrorail.

Metrorail started rolling out wifi, this would have gone live in end of June/July - we basically in Spring, and not WiFi. In June I wrote Is free Wi-Fi good or bad for Metrorail

Metrorail has not only failed to deliver an effective and reliable service but also to give a report back on the safety critical interventions that would have taken four months. Unless Metrorail is using a different calendar, the four months ended, 25 days after the ticket prices increased, in July.

Metrorail's missed opportunity

Overhead electrical wires in one of Metrorail’s coaches that caught alight, led to about 15 commuters ending in hospital on Sunday 17 August. The incident happened just outside Soetendal-station, between Wellington and Hermon. The Worcester train is like the one traveling to and from Malmesbury, everyday, the only one and basically the only public transport many can use to get to the heart of the Western Cape.

The Worcester train was cancelled Monday morning and replaced with a bus service, just a pity buses were 60 to 90minutes delay, almost like the train service. At some, wait – most of the stations there were no staff to inform commuters if buses are on their way or not.

To make matters worse the same train, that went operational Monday afternoon, failed in-section. This makes me wonder

(1) How was it approved to be ready to be used again?

(2) Who approved it?

(3) Who will take responsibility

That the incident took place, is not a surprise, we have an old rail infrastructure and I touched on this in two previous blogs Cape Town Trains is Metrorails e-Toll.

What frustrated me though is:

The train departed Cape Town station at 16:53 and after the train had a few stop and go moments I inquired and at 17:17 was told it is delayed due to a faulty set. The train arrived about 20 minute late at Bellville – where it stood for another 15 to 20 minutes. An announcement was made that the said train is delayed due to a faulty set. The Worcester train eventually moved but failed at Brackenfell – during this time @CapeTownTrains tweeted the train is delayed due to a faulty set. At 18:55 came a tweet the train has been cancelled – this after it’s been standing at Brackenfell for more than an hour. No staff-members were insight and no announcements were made.

I learned that the delays are due to cable theft at Huguenot station and the faulty set – it is sad though that Metrorail’s Customer Services cannot communicate this to commuters, almost as sad as the fact that no staff were at a station.

Metrorail’s Regional Manager, Richard Walker, is said to be serious about customer service. His actions, does not speak of this and if he’s to be believed, Walker missed a golden opportunity Sunday evening to prove it. He also missed the opportunity Monday evening.

Nothing is more important that the commuter

So if I were Walker and I got the call Sunday evening of the train accident – with 174 km, the longest possible route on a commuter train in South Africa – I would instruct all my senior managers/HODs and rush to the scene. I would make sure my Communication, Marketing and Customer Service-managers and teams make sure we show that through this tragedy, commuters and the general public see, Metrorail cares. I guess if that was the case, I would have read a headline Monday morning “Metrorail cares” and not “Train catches fire”.

Walker is quoted in the media as saying Metrorail has a contingency plan that is activated in case of an emergency and that staff assist commuters out of the train if it is safe to do so. Metrorail might have a contingency plan, the activation time should however be question and that staff assists commuters seems to be a myth and still to be proven as a fact.

In conclusion: It is interesting to note that no Metrorail manager has ever said they would take a Worcester train in morning and afternoon peak – especially when there are massive delays – to experience the commuter experience. I will not hold my breath that this would also happen anytime soon.

Also read: Visiting critical but not stable Metrorail

women is WOW-man

Their slogan was "if you strike a women, you strike rock". Some might not believe this, others question it.

A few decades ago a few hundred of women, marched to the Union Buildings against the Apartheid-regime’s pass-law. This march was led by Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Albertina Sisulu and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn.

Every year August 9^th we hear woman marched against apartheid laws, yes this is true. But woman realised for change to come to this country, they would also have to stand up and be heard, they realised the men of the country would not be able to shape South Africa into a country for all. These woman stood by what they believed.

I feel the need though to ask this year, "can we truly celebrate Women's Day, if:

(1) a women is raped every 26 to 36 seconds in our country? 
(2) 2.1% of women age 16 and older reported that they had been sexually abuse?
(3) One in four woman reported having been abused by an intimate partner?
(4) A husband or boyfriend kills a woman every six hours?
(5) A woman being raped over the age of 25, has one in four chances that her attacker is HIV positive?

• sexual violence in South Africa

It is important that we as society educate ourselves that Women’s Day is not just celebrating woman who stood up against apartheid law but a reminder of the role woman play and they show courage and strength. 

Preachers will tell you, the female came from side - not the head to sit on, feet to be walked over, but side to be equal.

Someone once told me woman are like men, the difference is they WOW-men. There’s something in every lady that makes them wow. 

Once we start to speak out and take a zero-tolerance attitude as citizens if we see women abuse, we can in my view truly commemorate Women's Day.