The Mitchell’s Plain trains are coming soon, but nobody knows exactly when

The Mitchell’s Plain trains are coming soon, but nobody knows exactly when.

This is according to social media videos that the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has released in recent weeks on its official channels.

According to one video, which is narrated by someone wearing a “maintenance operations” jacket called Jaco Cupido, Prasa is in the “last phase of what needs to be done”.

In the video, Cupido says that the overhead traction equipment has been completed.

“In the distance you can see there is a big yellow machine,” Cupido said. “Which is what we use to rehabilitate the perway.”

“Perway” is a contraction of permanent way which refers to the track infrastructure.

“All of this is the last piece of the puzzle that we are putting together,” Cupido says, adding that the repair work at Kapteinsklip Station, the last station on the Mitchell’s Plain line, is very close to complete.

“With that excitement, I’m glad to say that we are reaching the end of the line,” Cupido says. “Which will open up this corridor which will then service the people of Mitchell’s Plain.”

Cupido is correct in calling the interest in the line “excitement” because several people have messaged TygerBurger with pictures of the work and testing being done on the line and asked when the work will be done and the line reopened.

TygerBurger has reached out to Prasa with questions but has had no reply to date.

Mitchell’s Plain has been without a rail service since 2019 when Prasa closed the lines due to debilitating vandalism. Attempts to reopen the line has been hampered by a multitude of problems including squatters on the rails.

For decades the trains had been a lifeline for the Cape Flats and millions of commuters from Mitchell’s Plain had used the service daily to get to work because it is the most affordable mode of public transport.

Prasa’s videos on social media do not give a projected date of reopening but Cupido says the work is “90/95% done”.

“Very soon we will be reporting on the first train that will be coming on this line.”