'Extortion syndicates have targeted our contractors'

Despite the turmoil, Mr Maseko said Prasa has managed to restore access to 121 of the original 124 stations. Bonteheuwel station is expected to reopen before the end of April. Electrification work is ongoing on the Kapteinsklip line, and trains from Kapteinsklip to Cape Town are scheduled to resume operation by Tuesday July 1.

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Progress in certain areas has proven especially complex. “In Langa, 1 262 homes were built on the tracks,” said Mr Maseko. “Since 2020, weve been working through an Implementation Protocol with various government departments to secure land and relocate the affected communities.”

However, similar efforts in Philippi were derailed by violence and crime during relocation talks with informal settlement representatives. Security concerns continue to dominate the discussion, particularly between Philippi and Lentegeur.

“Extortion syndicates have targeted our contractors,” Mr Maseko said.