Transnet service spat halts inter-city trains
A DISPUTE between Transnet and the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has resulted in all Shosholoza Meyl long-distance passenger train services being suspended from this weekend.
JULIUS BAUMANN
Published: 2010/08/16 06:19:42 AM
A DISPUTE between Transnet and the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has resulted in all Shosholoza Meyl long-distance passenger train services being suspended from this weekend.
Transnet has refused to certify Prasa trains that are not maintained by Transnet Rail Engineering (TRE), as is required in terms of Rail Safety Regulator regulations. This means the trains cannot run on Transnet’s network.
This follows a decision by Prasa to move the maintenance of its trains to its own workshops and other unnamed private contractors at the beginning of last week, blaming TRE for an unreliable and costly service. Transnet also claims that Prasa is in arrears on some of its accounts.
The suspension of the long- distance trains will affect services between all major cities in SA, including between Johannesburg and Durban.
United Transport and Allied Trade Unions general secretary Chris de Vos said on Friday that 25 trains under Prasa management would be suspended and thousands of passengers would have to find alternative transport.
Prasa could not confirm when the train service would resume.
However, the company had said it notified passengers of the suspension and would provide AutoPax buses to transport them to their destinations.
The dispute points to a deeper problem at Prasa, which, due to an unreliable service, continues to lose passengers to other road and air services, edging the passenger rail group closer to collapse.
“We believe this is a move by Transnet in retaliation for the loss of work from Prasa,†said Tumisang Kgaboesele, special adviser to Prasa CEO Lucky Montana. He said that last year Prasa spent R3bn on maintenance and overhaul services, of which about 40% was carried out by TRE.
Mr Montana said Prasa paid Transnet huge amounts for the maintenance of Shosholoza Meyl locomotives as well as additional sums to get access to the Transnet network.
“In fact, Transnet has been given the right of first refusal to render maintenance and refurbishment works. However, Prasa is not receiving quality and reliable services from Transnet to enable it to render decent train services to passengers,†Mr Montana said at the weekend.
“It will be difficult to continue to run these services when service levels are deteriorating.
“It is totally unacceptable that Shosholoza Meyl’s on-time performance stands at 35%,†with passengers experiencing up to 12- hour delays due to the “failure by Transnet to do its work, despite its high pricesâ€, he said.
A dispute over payments owed to TRE is also to blame for the current dispute, with the passenger rail group falling behind in payments with several suppliers in recent weeks.
Mr Kgaboesele said these late payments relate to disputes with certain suppliers, including Transnet.
Mr Montana said Transnet had not adequately proved the alleged amounts owed to it by Prasa, which are over and above what Prasa has already paid.
But Transnet disputed Prasa’s allegations. “Transnet would like to place on record that there is no dispute relating to locomotive maintenance that is preventing Prasa trains from running on Transnet’s network or any other dispute that would lead to the suspension of the Shosholoza Meyl service. Notwithstanding significant payment delays and pricing disputes, Transnet has continued to provide maintenance and upgrade services to Prasa,†Transnet spokesman Mboniso Sigonyela said on Friday.
“However, in mid-July Prasa revised certain governance processes that related to the manner in which work performed by TRE would be authorised by Prasa. The revisions have resulted in about 70 locomotives awaiting maintenance due to Prasa’s inability to comply with these very same processes.â€
Ever since taking over the passenger services from Transnet two years ago, Prasa has struggled to stay afloat due to insufficient state funding. Deputy Transport Minister Jeremy Cronin confirmed that subsidies to Prasa were insufficient. In addition to subsidies to fund its daily operation, Prasa management believes it needs up to R100bn over the next decade to refurbish ageing rolling stock.
Mr Cronin said at the weekend that this latest disagreement with Transnet will “energise†the government’s long- term plans to recapitalise Prasa.
baumannj@bdfm.co.za
