Metrorail or Metrorail?

Trains are delayed due to manual authorization, defective sets and speed restrictions. Allow for extended travel time due to a train that failed in-section. If you make use of South Africa’s rail operator Metrorail, these are well-known messages by now.

The daily struggles and frustration of thousands of my fellow commuters are as a result of not only mismanagement and corrupt activities but also first no planning and then poor planning by government.

The current state of the service is where you not guaranteed the train will be on-time and your ticket might or might not be checked. What you can be sure of is an overcrowded train. After the struggle to get in, comes the struggle to get out. Picture yourself a scrum, better yet wrestling’s royal rumble.

Another challenge for both rail operator and consumer is that some of the tracks are not owned by Metrorail. Much of it is rented from Transnet and therefore Metrorail cannot legally do repairs and maintenance. This often leaves the operator and commuters frustrated with delays or a suspended line, pending TFR maintenance.

While the daily numbers of commuters have increase, the number of trains decreased with many trains sabotaged by arson and vandals. This led to some trains being cancelled and the remaining trains shorter to ensure a service on all lines.

Metrorail needs more than 90 train sets to have a normal service in the Western Cape, for the four lines that stretch over 490km tracks. With all the arson incidents the past two years, there was a time the province had less than 60 train sets.

I am of the opinion that the arson and cable theft is a well-organised syndicate, deliberately destroying Metrorail.

Unfortunately there is no security compliment to have a guard of honour next to the railway line, and there is just not enough manpower for all the stations and points.

Security guards are deployed to hot-spot areas, but families of the men and women are victimized and their lives threatened. Many of the unarmed guards step back when the criminals target the areas. These guards don’t speak, out of fear for the lives of their loved-ones. Many of the guards are also not trained to use a firearm. And we cannot just go and give every Hendrik, Jason and Thabo a gun.

Cable theft is a reality. Between the 21st and 25th of July 2017 eleven suspects were arrested. Rail crime is however not viewed as serious enough by our justice system. If it was how many criminals caught, or against whom there is enough evidence were successfully prosecuted?

One of the positives is there has not been a single derailment with fatalities in the Western Cape and compared with other regions train incidents are fewer. Delays and cancellations are also lower, and lines suspended for service (after a major incident) last a few hours – compared to days in other regions – and as hard as this is to believe, commuters here receive better communication.

However the reality is that Metrorail operates in an open environment, making it not immune to and thus vulnerable for criminal activities. Social ills in communities play a big role in the many challenges. Often criminals use the tracks as an escape route. There are also areas where the railway line is a border for rivalry gangs.

Railway police don’t resort under Metrorail – but SAPS – and having no jurisdiction over them or their deployment adds to the safety headache.

The past month also saw a number of level-crossing incidents, despite having booms and Metrorail appealing in their statements for motorist to be vigilant when approaching a level-crossing.

Part of addressing the problem is not only government making more funding available, but also making rail more than just a priority on paper. We will also have to start addressing crime, social challenges and unemployment. If we don’t do this and continue to play the blame game, commuters and Metrorail will continue to be the biggest loser and hooligan criminals laughing all the way to the bank.

This opinion piece was originally written for JustJody  

Metrorail: We apologize for the inconvenience

“Trains in the Region are delayed in an excess of 240 minutes”, the sms that Saturday morning that made the warning signs go off.

Metrorail was given a heavy blow, just hours after #BlackFriday. Not even three consecutive arson incidents in April could stop the service. But cable theft, at a juncture where all signal cables converge, brought the train service to a standstill.

At our first meeting, the current Metrorail Western Cape regional manager, Richard Walker said he would try his best to never stop trains from moving – even if that means driving a train himself. And then came Metrorail’s darkest hour in more than five years.

Technicians tried their best to restore the service and by the Wednesday afternoon Richard (yes we on a first name basis) informed me all lines are now open, but things will still be hectic.

The next morning criminals again targeted Salt River and to complicate things even more four carriages were destroyed in an arson attack just outside Thornton station.

There are more than 120 train stations in the province, of who just under a 100 have ticket offices. Metrorail needs more than 90 train sets to have a normal service, for the four lines that stretch over 489km tracks. With all the arson incidents the past 15 months, there was a time the province had less than 70 train sets.

Apart from not having the security compliment to have a guard of honour next to the tracks, there is just not enough manpower for all the stations and points.

And then there is the issue of no funds, because Prasa – the motherbody of Metrorail – is in tatters from mismanagement and financial irregularities. Our hope and prayers are now on acting group chief, Collins Letsoalo, to get all sets on the tracks.

The arson and cable theft are forcing me to dare say there is a well-organised syndicate out to destroy Metrorail – especially in the Western Cape.

Securities are deployed to hot-spot areas, but families of the men and women are victimized and their lives threatened. Many of the unarmed guards step back when the thieves target the areas. Because is a life not more important than cables?

They don’t speak out, out of fear for the lives of their loved-ones. Many of the guards are also not trained to use a firearm. And if we go and give every Hendrik, Ivor and Thabo a gun, we might sit with the same problem as the Americans.

Then there is the sad fact that rail crime is not viewed as serious enough by our justice system. Because how many criminals caught, or against whom there are enough evidence are successfully prosecuted.

The past decades very little to no upgrading was done to our rail system – apart from fixing problems. For decades our rail infrastructure was neglected. In 2009 the need was identified and Prasa launched Project Modernisation. This 20 to 30 year project not only includes new trains but also upgrading of infrastructure. We have to wonder though what a setback every cable theft, arson and vandalism incident has.

Very notable with all the incidents, is the silence from the government benches. Both President Jacob Zuma and transport minister Dipuo Peters condemned the April arson incidents. Commuters however need more than a sentence from their leaders. Commuters, like trains and the infrastructure that are destroyed are government assets. Now why can our defence force – who protects rhinos – not be deployed to protect our trains and stations against the hooligans who are destroying the assets of our future?

Metrorail, or the railway service, is the backbone of the Western Cape economy and there is a light though for commuters.

The service in the province is much better than in other. The Western Cape might be the only not to make a profit, but in the province there are no rail derailments with casualties and train incidents are fewer, as well as crime activity. Delays and cancellations are also lower and we have the best and most proactive communication.

Our defence force might however be a temporary solution. If we want to address Metrorail’s problem, we will have to start addressing crime, social challenges and unemployment. If we don’t do this and continue to play the blame game, commuters and Metrorail will continue to be the biggest loser and hooligan criminals laughing all the way to the bank.

• This is the English version of a Post Scriptum that appeared in Paarl Post of Thursday 8 December 2016.