He had a remarkably different experience compared to three weeks ago when he boarded a train in Mabopane hoping to arrive in Pretoria in 45 minutes. That train broke down and arrived at its destination three hours later.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was one of the first people to travel in Prasa's new commuter train - the first of its kind to be built in South Africa - when he took a short ride in Cape Town on Tuesday.
The new train is among 35 that transport minister Blade Nzimande promised to roll out on the Cape Town Metrorail service before the end of 2020. Another 35 are expected to bolster the eThekwini metro. Prasa's new SA-made commuter train at Cape Town station on Tuesday. A factory in Nigel is producing 30 coaches a month.Cape Town's Metrorail service has been severely affected by a series of arson attacks on Prasa's commuter rail service since 2012. By October 2018, the city's commuter train fleet had been halved due to the attacks, with only 44 trains able to run out of a total of 90 before the fires.
Despite the modernity of the trains, Tuesday's ride still proved to be shaky - partly due to the new train's speed and the old infrastructure.
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