EASTERN CAPE — Ten refurbished train stations across the Eastern Cape have been officially reopened by Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, marking a significant step in restoring passenger rail services damaged by vandalism during the COVID-19 hard lockdown.
Seven of the reopened stations sit along the KuGompo corridor, with the remaining three located in Gqeberha. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) invested R115 million over the past two financial years to upgrade the facilities, Creecy said during an oversight visit to the East London Rail Corridor in KuGompo City on Tuesday.
The upgrades form part of PRASA’s National Station Improvement Programme, which the department describes as a rebuild of the infrastructure that connects township and village residents to employment in the city.
Restored services from Berlin to East London
The commuter rail service on the corridor runs from Berlin to East London station, collecting passengers from villages and townships and passing through eight stations on the route to the city, where most commuters work.
Creecy emphasised that each station on the line is embedded in the community it serves, making the condition of the facilities directly relevant to residents’ access to jobs and livelihoods.
According to the minister, the scope of the refurbishment went beyond repainting buildings. Renovations covered station buildings, structures and waiting shelters, while water supply, sanitation, drainage and backup water systems were restored. Lighting was reinstated alongside backup solar power.
Platforms were also refurbished, including the installation of tactile surfaces and markings to assist blind and partially sighted passengers.
Security and safety upgrades include access control, closed-circuit television, alarms and security monitoring. New signage, fire-fighting equipment, and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems were also installed.
Jobs, skills and local contracts
Creecy said the investment delivered immediate economic benefits to the surrounding communities, with the construction phase creating approximately 171 direct jobs.
Some 27 local small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) were engaged on the project, and ten Community Liaison Officers were appointed to keep residents informed about progress.
The minister said the programme was deliberately structured so that wages, new skills and work experience would remain within the townships and villages where the stations are located, giving households a record of experience to take into future employment opportunities.
Beyond construction, PRASA has signed three-year agreements with five local cooperatives to handle station cleaning and ongoing maintenance.
Creecy said these contracts offer more than temporary employment, providing recurring income and a platform for small enterprises to grow while giving local residents a lasting role in running the stations. She described the cooperatives as custodians of the facilities on behalf of the passengers who use them, arguing that a station maintained by its own neighbours receives a different standard of care.
Passenger demand doubles as reliability improves
Commuter confidence in the region has recovered sharply. Passenger numbers more than doubled, rising from just over 630 000 in 2024/25 to more than 1.2 million in 2025/26.
In the current financial year, PRASA recorded on-time performance of 94.2% in the Eastern Cape, with 603 successful trips and trip cancellations held to 4.13%.
Safety improvements have also translated into faster travel. The Railway Safety Regulator has approved an increase in the maximum operating speed on the Berlin-to-East London line from 30 km/h to 60 km/h.
Creecy said the Eastern Cape region had, to date, closed all Railway Safety Regulator improvement directives, a performance she linked to the regulator’s decision to permit the higher speed limit on the KuGompo corridor. She cautioned that as services improve and further stations are upgraded, safety standards must be maintained.
Residents urged to protect refurbished stations
The minister appealed to communities along the corridor to treat the restored stations as their own, to safeguard the public infrastructure and to report theft and vandalism promptly.
PRASA, she said, must respond decisively and work closely with law enforcement and community structures to protect the assets.
The rebuild is not complete. Eighteen stations in the Eastern Cape are still awaiting upgrades, which Creecy said PRASA is responsible for delivering over the coming years. The longer-term objective is to return the region to the level of rail service it enjoyed before the pandemic, a goal she said current trends suggest is achievable.
