Gibela-produced EMU trainset
Photo by: Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Commuter rail service Metrorail has resumed the weekday train service between Naledi, in Soweto, and Johannesburg, effective November 28. The service will make use of the entity’s new electric modular units (EMU) train sets for the first time.
The train will stop at the Naledi, Merafe, Inhlazane, Ikwezi, Dube, Phefeni, Phomolong, Mzimhlophe, New Canada, Longdale, Croesus, Langlaagte, Braamfontein and Johannesburg stations.
There will be new conditions imposed on commuters using “The People’s Trains”, as parent company of Metrorail the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has dubbed it, including no smoking, weapons, littering, eating or drinking, churches, trading or gambling is allowed within the trains.
The agency has advised that anyone breaking the rules will be liable to a fine.
The EMU train sets were built by rail transport consortium Gibela, comprising of French rail company Alstom with 70% ownership and Ubumbano Rail with 30% ownership. Gibela has been building trains for the execution of PRASA’s rolling stock fleet renewal programme.
PRASA had budgeted R124-billion for the entire renewal project over 20 years. The EMU trains run at 120 km/h and have the capacity to carry 1 200 passengers.
The six-cart trains only move when the doors are closed and are fitted with surveillance cameras and air-conditioning.
However, only parts of the country’s railway system are ready for the new trains, requiring modernisation to existing infrastructure first.
PRASA is working on upgrading other parts of its network as it plans to slowly phase out the older Metrorail coaches.