Creecy hails reopening of Chris Hani rail corridor on CT's central line as a critical milestone

CAPE TOWN - The reopening of the Chris Hani to Cape Town leg of the central line has been hailed as a critical milestone in restoring full train services in the metro.

The central line is Cape Town’s most important rail corridor as it connects communities of Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain to the Cape Town and Bellville CBDs.

At full capacity, it contributes 350,000 daily passenger trips to Cape Town’s 680,000 train commuters.

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy visited the city on Thursday to reopen the rail artery from Khayelitsha to the city centre.

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Minister Creecy said the recovery of the Cape Town central line had not been easy, with illegal occupation and infrastructure vandalism delaying the resumption of train services.

Creecy said that a fully recovered central line had the potential to return a considerable number of commuters to the train, thereby easing the city’s unbearable traffic congestion.

"With this achievement, we are one step closer to returning passenger rail to its rightful place as the backbone of public transport and of economic growth in our country."

She said that the reopening of the line from Chris Hani to Cape Town CBD was more than the reopening of a rail line, but a return to dignity, mobility, and hope for working-class Capetonians.