Cape Town - Metrorail in the Western Cape reintroduced the Parow railway station on the Northern Line on Tuesday, following refurbishments as a result of vandalism during the hard lockdown.
The Cape Town to Bellville train will now stop in Parow.
Metrorail said some of the refurbished facilities and areas included public toilets; pre-cast concrete walls (to prevent fare evasion, security reasons, and to prevent illegal dumping); platform surfaces fixed on platforms 1, 2, and 3; manholes were closed on platform 2 and razor wire was extended around the boundaries of the ticket office and mess rooms.
Metrorail reintroduced the Bellville to the Eerste River Service on January 16.
“Parow station is one of the busiest in Area North, with high commuter volumes, as it is next to industrial areas including high schools, tertiary institutions such as Unisa, Northlink College, the University of the Western Cape, hospitals, malls, and shopping centres,” a statement read.
The reintroduced service will, for now, only be available during the week.
Metrorail spokesperson Zino Mihi said since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and hard lockdowns, most of Metrorail’s stations across the country had been badly vandalised.
“They cut the cables, then they also vandalised some components of the tracks, and they vandalised the substations and also the mess rooms. They were really destroying and vandalising most of the key areas of the station.”
Mihi said the cost of the damage had run into millions. “We cannot run a service where there is vandalism.”
To refurbish Parow station had also cost millions of rand, she said, but was not able to provide an exact figure.
“We are reintroducing different lines in phases so there are many things that you must consider. For instance, signalling and electrical wires – you must make sure that out of what has been vandalised, at least the station must be functional, must be in a state that the customers are going to be happy to see,” Mihi said.
“During the lockdown, some people were just going up and down breaking windows, so you need to make sure it is in a state that is relatively acceptable.”
Ward councillor Franchesca Walker said: “It is great news for us and the entire community of Parow. Many residents have requested for the station to open as this is the best mode of transport and also the most cost-effective way of commuting for the public.”
Walker said Northlink College students had been suffering while the line was out of action. “So for me as sub-council 4 chairperson and also ward councillor for ward 26, it really gives us great pleasure to welcome the reopening of the Parow Station.”
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za