A recent presentation by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament’s Standing Committee on Mobility has highlighted progress in rail service recovery across the province, but also exposed deep political fault lines over the City of Cape Town’s role in the future of commuter rail.
The briefing, framed as an update on the Service Level Plan (SLP) agreed between PRASA and the City, outlined operational improvements.
These include the restoration of 13 train services and a rise in train punctuality from 81.1% last year to 87.4% in 2024/25.
Train cancellations have also dropped significantly from 7.2% to 4.6%. Yet despite these gains, serious concerns remain.
The Central Line, a vital commuter corridor linking Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain with Cape Town and Bellville, continues to struggle with informal settlements encroaching on the tracks. PRASA presented phased relocation plans but stopped short of committing to any firm timelines.
The agency also projected an ambitious growth in daily commuter numbers from 53,000 currently to over 340,000 by 2026, under its Operation Bhekela programme.
However, the details around the critical SLP with the City of Cape Town remained vague and largely incomplete.
PRASA laid out a phased vision to move from limited service to full rail operations by 2030, promising faster trains, integrated digital systems, and modernised stations.
Yet, it offered scant clarity on how the City would engage in operational responsibilities or take over any rail services.
This lack of transparency has drawn sharp criticism from political leaders alike, with accusations that the City is evading accountability amid ongoing legal challenges related to transport failures.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis confirmed in Council last December that the City received a signed SLP from PRASA after months of negotiations.
He described it as a “big step” towards the future devolution of rail services to municipal control.
“Taking charge of Metrorail is especially important for lower-income households, who would save an estimated R932 million a year if trains were working as they should,” Hill-Lewis said.
The City also adopted a Rail Feasibility Study, completed last December, which outlines three possible ownership models for the City’s potential takeover of the rail network.
Business plans for each model are expected by mid-2025. The entire devolution process is estimated to cost R123 billion over 30 years, relying heavily on national subsidies and private sector investment.
Brett Herron (GOOD), Member of the Provincial Legislature and party Secretary-General, dismissed the SLP as a “non-plan” and “theatrical bluster.”
“Friday’s presentation confirmed why it was kept secret, it’s not a plan at all,” Herron said. “It contains none of the essential requirements under the National Land Transport Act. No vision for investment, commuter rights, or network recovery.”
He accused the City and PRASA of drafting a superficial document designed solely to defend themselves in court against litigation from civil society organisation, Unite Behind.
Western Cape Provincial Secretary of the South African Communist Party and ANC Mobility Spokesperson, Benson Ngqentsu (ANC), condemned PRASA’s repeated denial in the legislature that an SLP existed.
“This lie was repeated today by PRASA executives,” Ngqentsu said.
“There is an SLP in place, and denying it is deceitful.”
Ngqentsu criticised the broader devolution initiative, warning it reflects harmful “neoliberal reforms” aligned with the Democratic Alliance’s agenda. He called for the national government instead to back merging PRASA and Transnet into a single, publicly owned entity to better serve the public interest.
