RELIEF is on the horizon for South Coast commuters. After months of delays, train services between Isipingo and Winklespruit are expected to resume by August, with repair work nearing completion.

Also read: Illovo railway bridge designs unveiled

The rail service was suspended in April after heavy rains caused extensive damage to infrastructure between the two towns. Since then, trains from Durban have only been able to travel as far as Isipingo, leaving many commuters scrambling for alternative, and often more expensive, modes of transport.

On July 11, work crews and heavy machinery were spotted rehabilitating sections of the railway in Doonside, where they were clearing vegetation and servicing tracks.

Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) spokesperson, Zama Nomnganga, was not available to comment, but a Prasa employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the trains’ return.

“Work teams have been servicing the tracks, cutting vegetation, and ensuring that the railway is up to standard for the trains to run again,” said the employee.

This latest disruption is not isolated. Between April 2022 and May 2023, services along the same route were suspended after flood damage, including the collapse of the Illovo River bridge, halted all trains between Durban and Kelso.

While limited train service was restored in May 2023, reaching as far as Winklespruit, the collapsed bridge still affects operations further south.

KZN Department of Transport spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya confirmed that the bridge reconstruction is pending.

“The rebuilding of the Illovo River bridge is subject to the availability of funding. Environmental assessments and structural plans have already been submitted,” said Sibiya.

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