Prasa – praag.org

MK denies plot to murder PRASA chairman

The uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) has denied claims of a plot to execute Prasa chairperson Popo Molefe.

Molefe has opened a case of conspiracy to commit murder, claiming someone wants him dead.

The rail agency’s chairperson alleges that some MK veterans held a meeting in May to discuss a plot to kill him.

He alleges that those who attended the meeting were upset that the Prasa board had accepted former CEO Lucky Montana’s resignation.

The MKMVA has dismissed the allegations as nonsense.

Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Associations’ Kebby Maphatsoe said, “I don’t know of any plot to kill the chairperson of Prasa. I’ve never been in a meeting of such a plot.

“What I attended is a meeting that was convened by the MKMVA of Johannesburg and the purpose of that meeting was to discuss the benefits meant for military veterans.”

Police are investigating the claims.

Source: eNCA

Kilometres of rail track stolen

Kilometres of rail track was stolen from a company that repairs Metrorail carriages in Ekurhuleni.

Metal thieves used blowtorches to cut the track leading to the depot in Nigel.

Officials have visited the Union Carriage and Wagon (UCW) depot on Monday to inspect the site of the stolen tracks.

Initially, the length of rail track stolen was believed to be 2km, but it seems to have been much more.

The theft meant that no trains could enter or exit the depot, with several carriages now stuck inside.

Five men have been arrested in connection with the theft after they were found to be in possession of gas bottles used for blow torches.

UCW had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.

Mahlangu said UCW was responsible for repairs and maintenance of Metrorail trains, a division of Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).

“Our operations are not affected,” Prasa spokeswoman Lillian Mofokeng said on Wednesday morning. The carriages that were at the depot were not in operation anyway.

Mahlangu said he was unsure how the thieves had managed such a brazen heist as the depot was operational.

He said it was believed the theft had taken place at night.

In a separate matter, Metrorail trains were delayed across the East Rand on Wednesday morning due to cable theft and defective crossing points. The theft affected the routes between Germiston, Daveyton, Springs and Isando, among others.

Source: IOL

Gautrain plans expansion

The Gautrain Management Agency has unveiled an ambitious plan to expand the rail network from Naledi in Soweto to Mamelodi in Pretoria.

The agency will partner with Prasa to add an extra 140 kilometers of rail lines in Gauteng.

It’s hoped the 25-year Integrated Transport Master Plan will result in trains being the primary mode of transport in the province.

Some of the areas to add new rail lines include Westgate, Boksburg, Mamelodi and Randburg.

There will also be a line connecting Sandton to Randburg and an additional line from Rhodesfield station to Boksburg in Ekurhuleni.

The plan is still in its infancy and is yet to be approved by government.

It’s also unclear how much it will cost.

“Obviously there are a myriad of priorities in our country but we hope that we have a good enough business case and a good enough value for money proposition to convince the minister of transport and the minister of finance to allocate us some more funds,” said Gautrain Management Agency CEO Jack van der Merwe. – eNCA

SA govt wants cities to control trains

The government is considering handing control of passenger train services from the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) to cities, Beeld newspaper reported on Monday.

Deputy Transport Minister Jeremy Cronin said the government wanted cities to develop programs for a comprehensive transport system, taking into account buses, trains, minibus taxis and other means of transport.

“Our cities are expanding at an ever accelerating pace. The government expects that by 2030, 70 percent of South Africans will be living in cities, and it is therefore important to develop systems that can keep pace with this level of growth,” Cronin was quoted as saying.

Public transport should be integrated with the development of settlements and industries. Currently, cities were responsible for city planning, but had no control over metro train services, which complicated co-ordination. Cronin said Metrorail passenger services formed an integral part of city infrastructure.

Thus far, Cape Town’s and Durban’s systems looked as though they would be the easiest to transfer from Metrorail to city authorities. The government was still discussing the financial and logistical details with Prasa, Cronin said. – Sapa