Cape Town's passenger rail system, managed by Prasa, has seen a significant decline, with a 92% drop in passenger trips. A new proposal suggests that the City of Cape Town taking over management could not only restore the rail system but also expand it, potentially adding 54,000 new housing units around the city’s train stations. The proposal is set to be presented to the City council on December 5.
Cape Town ’s passenger rail system has seen a drastic decline over the past decade under the management of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa , with passenger trips plummeting by 92% from 172 million in 2012/13 to just 13 million in 2023/24,
Now, a new proposal suggests that if the City of Cape Town takes over the management of the rail network, it could restore the system to 2012 levels and even expand the network, creating up to 54 000 new housing units on land around the city’s 92 train stations. The proposal, set to be presented to the City council on 5 December, outlines the potential of turning underutilised land around stations into hubs of residential, office, and commercial developments. The estimated cost for this transformation is close to R100 billion over the next 30 years, with the aim to increase daily passenger trips from 707 to 981 by 2032.
A major part of the plan also focuses on generating revenue from the land around the stations, which could increase income from R46 million a year to R777 million. However, the initial development costs are significant, projected at R88.5 billion for 25 stations. Despite the steep upfront costs, the plan emphasizes that revenue from the land, combined with strategic town planning and infrastructure development, could create a sustainable, modernized rail system for Cape Town.
The study suggests several possible structures for governance, including the City assuming full control of the network or working with private operators. The preferred model is one where the city owns the network but grants concessions to private operators for management.
Rail System Cape Town Prasa City Council Housing Expansion Infrastructure Development
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