Kirstie Paulse: AlgoaFM News
Metrorail commuter trains running between Kariega and Gqeberha in Nelson Mandela Bay will not operate for at least another six to eight weeks.
The rail service which also runs through Perseverance, Swartkops, New Brighton, and Sydenham was suspended on the 7th of January.
The corporation's spokesperson, Mimi Katsio, said the service was halted due to long-running network challenges, vandalism, and cable theft.
"It is important for me to say that we are operating our train service on a Transnet network, we are not the network owner, so we depend on them to do the repairs," she said.
Katsio also commented on the continued erratic train schedule which has led to thousands of commuters having to find alternative means of transport.
"We are running on diesel locomotives and these have aged, so they are prone to have breakdowns and failures," she said.
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) which owns 317 stations of the Metrorail's 468 stations is however working on a recovery program for the Eastern Cape.
Katsio said they are looking at how they can resolve these issues.
They are also continuing their engagements with Transnet to repair the infrastructure.
"We give it six to eight weeks but if it stretches beyond that we will come back to notify commuters that the process is taking longer than anticipated."
Commuters were informed that services are suspended on a Whatsapp group run by Metrorail early this year.
However, several people who have since turned to the Algoa Bus service or taxis for alternative transport said they were unaware of what the issue is.
Others highlighted their concerns about road safety due to reckless driving by some taxi drivers, while others said the financial implications were "heavy on the pocket."
Train fares cost at least R9 for a single ticket to Gqeberha, while a taxi fare from the rank in Kariega to Gqeberha costs R25.
Katsio said employees at the affected train stations have been sent for refresher training until the services resume.
