Has Metrorail lost the plot & compassion?

Metrorail Western Cape experienced their worse day in the past 3 years yesterday and the funny thing is they could have avoided it if someone took ownership, responsibility and had the courage to stand up and lead – unfortunately their leadership skills are on one of the trains that are delayed.

Two things frustrated me: that they could have avoided the chaos and no senior management were on trains, even though they knew trains would be delayed for more than an hour.

This led to me first sending an email to the Regional Manager and his senior team and then to the minister of transport, Dipuo Peters. Here’s an extract of both:

Email to Metrorail Regional Manager

Drivers don’t have any communication with operations and at least two trains are standing outside Brackenfell, while buses are at the station, not transporting commuters

Now I would like to know:

1) Which bright spark at Metrorail decided to approve one line to be open, after operations decided Wellington trains will go via Stellenbosch on the Muldersvlei Line? Surely it does not take a rocket scientist to know that if there was a derailment a line will be closed and fixing that line will take hours - even if one line is open. Why still have all trains go that route and cause trains to be delayed by up to 3/4 hours.

If those trains went via Stellenbosch they would have been delayed by max 60 minutes.

2) Why would drivers have no communication with Operations? We live in 2015 and everyone has a cellphone so no communication should be the last of Metrorail's silly excuses.

3) Why is the Regional Manager and ALL his HOD's not on Wellington trains explaining to commuters the chaos and assisting.

Here's a quick reality check:

(a) There are parents on those trains who will have to pay their Day Care mothers extra (per hour) because Metrorail again failed to plan better.

(b) There are people on those trains who missed out on opportunities thanks to Metrorail.

(c) There are people on those trains who will sign warning letters and face disciplinary action because Metrorail thought it could operate with one line.

Dear Regional Manager, you have in the past six months failed to publicly hold anyone responsible for incompetent decisions or take full responsibility for chaos on the lines, my humble request is that you not let this opportunity pass and not hold staff accountable!

Email to Minister Peters:

Currently Metrorail Western Cape is in chaos and the management is refusing to admit they have made errors today.

A Metrorail Western Cape HOD told me that even though there are managers at the station, Head of Departments don't get on trains (to engage with commuters) on the chaos. The HOD maintained this even after I said not even the Customer Services and Communication HOD's. People have been on trains this evening for four hours and the statement by a senior Prasa employee is TOTALLY unacceptable.

Metrorail was well aware of this chaos, and could have avoided this. Still their senior management don't see it important for them to be on a train engaging commuters and then I ask myself has this really become a money making business with NO human factor.

HAS METRORAIL NOW REALLY LOST THE PLOT AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO COMPASSION FOR THEIR FELLOW MAN/WOMAN?

Checking Metrorail's tickets

I have been criticizing Metrorail for some time and frankly I’m not yet planning on stopping to help them create a better service.

See I was once told I should be the change I want to see, and I’m really trying hard in helping Metrorail create the change I want to see by being an active commuter who:

1. Tap them on the shoulder when they do something good – not really a lot of those moments, but they there.
2. Share information with Metrorail that could help them better their service and this would include incidents on a train or line or station – they just have to do the follow-up.
3. Criticize them to better their service, especially customer service and communication.
4. Share information and assist fellow commuters with information.

I’ve written a few blogs on Metrorail and the terrible service. I’ve admitted that changing the system will not happen overnight and a better rail infrastructure will not appear as cable theft increases. There are three things Metrorail can implement and make a priority ASAP, for this to happen the different departments within the rail operator should work more integrated.

With the above as background, in November I was challenged to one day in peak time check train tickets at Cape Town station.

Obviously I was nervous, who wouldn't be, if you check the small font on the tickets.

I was given training, for about 5 minutes – due to security reasons I cannot give more details on this.

While I have new respect for ticket verifiers, my opinion on the way they work has not changed though.

I enjoyed the experience and learned a few exciting things. It was also exciting to see such friendly and some really grumpy faces early in the morning.

Checking all the info on a ticket, counting and greeting makes it a challenge to say how many people come pass you. All I know is that atleast seven trains stopped and those commuters came pass me – and this is not even adding those entering Cape Town station going to platforms. I would say I counted about 30 to 40 if not 45 tickets per minute, almost at the average, for a rookie.

Now that I have been to Metrorail’s operational centre, taken a trip on their Tourism Train and even check tickets, I have a few other things on my list to experience with Metrorail.

Metrorail's Bellville secret

Overcrowding at Bellville station on a typical winters day, with all exits open and electronic notice boards working.

The secrecy regarding Prasa/Metrorail doesn’t stop with their whole make-over.

It would appear as if majority of staff are in the dark as to just what building is under construction at Bellville. Metrorail, oops Prasa, will move their operational centre (currently on Cape Town station) to Bellville station.

Now one could ask if this move is being done to restore the confidence in the ailing railway service amongst commuters on that line. Taking into account that Metrorail cannot see what is going on, on tracks beyond Stikland and moving the operational centre closer to stations they cannot see, staff and commuters might have more confidence.

Personally I think they are making a big mistake and should rather have spent the money on equipment at the current CMOCC as well as on security – would appear as if like customer service, security is not that important – for commuter’s atleast.

The other issue with Bellville is that the current construction goes against building regulations and I’ve pointed this out to Metrorail, who basically ignored my email.

Currently there is only one subway with one entrance/exit commuters can use.

Should anything happen at Bellville station and there need to be an emergency evacuation; hundreds will not make it, because there’s only one exit. And anyone who has been in that subway in peak-time would understand my statement. (it’s even impossible for me to make a video and add it to this blog)

When raising this issue with the current station manager, she indirectly admitted that it is something Metrorail failed to take note of and raise and I should know construction is not being done by Metrorail.

Now this made me ask her, so you who manage and work at the station everyday could give no input! There is a delay on that answer.

boards at Century City also off.

To make matters worse, electronic boards at the station are out of order, due to the construction work. But typical Metrorail there was no planning for this as there are nowhere on the station a notice apologising for the inconvenience and saying notice boards are not working.

It took Metrorail a month to admit electronic notice boards are out of order.

While I wonder, I also know not the Regional Manager, or any of his HOD’s, the Area Manager or the mentioned station manager has walked on those platforms since construction started. 

If they have, they would have known the seriousness of the situation and had contingency plans in place by now – this is now if one would assume they really care about commuters.