The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (Prasa) R80m project to rebuild the Plantation railway bridge has been left in limbo, with the contractor gone, the site office vandalised, and the metro yet to explain mounting delays in restoring its section of the infrastructure.

The delay means the reopening of Hospital Road, a key route for residents and motorists accessing the hospital and nearby amenities, remains uncertain. The return of passenger rail services along the eastern corridor has also been pushed back.

The bridge was destroyed on Christmas Eve 2022 when a gas tanker became lodged beneath it and exploded, killing 41 people.

Prasa began repairs in December 2023 and was expected to take 10 months.

Although initial progress was steady, repeated delays led to deadline extensions. The contractor, Re A Letamisa Trading and Projects CC, subsequently left the site months ago following reported contractual disputes now believed to be the subject of legal action.

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Since then, the site has been vandalised, with criminals breaking into storage containers and stealing equipment. The area has also become overgrown and unsightly.
Both Prasa and the municipality had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.

Zero progress
Meanwhile, the City of Ekurhuleni has made no progress in rebuilding the nearby Railway Street bridge, also damaged in the blast. Nearly four years later, the city has yet to appoint a contractor, despite repeated assurances.

During a site visit in October 2024, the late MMC for Roads and Transport Planning, Andile Mngwevu, acknowledged the urgency of reopening the route, citing increased traffic pressure due to the closure of parts of Rondebult Road.

Portfolio committee intervenes
In December 2025, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Transport, accompanied by DA councillors, conducted an oversight visit following a petition by the party.

Councillor Mike da Silva said restoring the rail corridor from Johannesburg to Daveyton and Springs was critical for economic growth, adding that action, not further oversight, was now needed.

Ward 32 Clr Marius de Vos criticised the municipality’s inaction, saying no budget had been allocated this financial year to rebuild the road bridge.
“While Prasa has completed about 80% of its work, the city has done virtually nothing,” he said, adding that residents affected by the tragedy had been left in limbo.

Questions over the cost of the delays and the future of the stalled project remain unanswered.

Also Read: R65m lawsuit filed over gas tanker explosion