PRASA has welcomed the mock-up of its new trains at Pretoria Station today. The Mock-up train, an exact replica of the newly purchased trains, will be open for public viewing at the end of July free of charge.
The train is an example of a single coach that will be used to demonstrate the train’s new and unique features to the public. These features include CCTV Cameras, on-board communications between the driver and the commuters, emergency communications for disabled passengers, air conditioning to name a few.
The new trains are expected to start running at the first deployment corridor between Pienaarspoort to Pretoria while PRASA continues to modernise the rest of its system over the next 20 years. The Modernisation Programme will see an increase in the number of station and line closures due to construction works as PRASA prepares and upgrades its infrastructure to accommodate the new trains.
For the next 10 to 15 years, PRASA will continue to run the current trains and will gradually phase out the current trains as the Modernisation Programme progresses to different areas. This means that PRASA will continue to refurbish its current trains and improve on its operational efficiencies. The Modernisation Programme and the roll out of new trains will see PRASA deliver a world class quality to the people of South Africa.