POLITICS

PRASA closes Pretoria station for 40 days for maintenance

Benefits of modernised infrastructure will be a 'safer, faster, smoother and world-class train service'

PRASA closes Pretoria station for 40 days for maintenance

14 December 2018

If you take a train from Metrorail's Bosman station in Pretoria as part of your commute to work, you'll need to consider other modes of transport.

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) will be carrying out maintenance at the station, completely closing it to the public for at least 40 days.

Gauteng Metrorail spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng says trains will be monitored to ensure their safe movement, but commuters will not be able to embark at the Bosman station.

She says this move is necessary.

"The benefits of a new modernised infrastructure will be a safer, faster, smoother and world-class train service with improved travelling times.

"The work will involve the replacement of old signals, turnouts and points machines as part of PRASA's modernisation programme," Mofokeng said.

Here is the schedule:

1. Trains from the Saulsville corridor, De Wildt and Mabopane will turn around at Bosman station.

2. All trains on the northern side will terminate at Bosman station and Mears Street station.

3. A shuttle train service will run between Mears Street station and Koedoespoort. Buses will ferry commuters to Bosman station.

4. Another shuttle train service will run between Pienaarspoort to Bosman via Capital Park route.

5. All Johannesburg to Pretoria trains will turn around at Centurion station, where buses will ferry commuters to Bosman station.

Mofokeng said that tickets would only be sold to commuters travelling between listed stations.

"Commuters have been advised to adhere to the service announcements made at stations during this period, to be familiar with the revised train timetable. We hope that our valuable customers will cooperate and support Metrorail during this construction phase. Metrorail is committed to continually ensure that safety for all within its operational environment is prioritised."

She says while this may be "a short-term inconvenience", commuters will benefit from improved infrastructure in the long term.

"Our efforts in improving commuters travel is a demonstration that PRASA and its business units are doing something so that South Africans enjoy decent and modern public transport services in the coming weeks, months and years to come," Mofokeng concluded.

News24