The Eastern Cape Department of Transport's Kei Rail project scooped two awards at the Africa Rail conference's glittering awards ceremony held in Johannesburg last night.
The project was announced as the best rail passenger operator in Africa with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa as the runner up in this category.
The department's former Deputy Director-General for Roads and Public Transport Mr Nkululeko Poya received the best rail personality of the year in Africa for the year.
After receiving the news, an elated MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, Ghishma Barry, congratulated the department officials involved in the project for this milestone.
"This proves the correctness of our decision as provincial government to go back to rail. The Kei Rail project has always been a shining example of government's back to rail strategy," said MEC Barry.
In 2009, the project received the Eastern Cape Premier's Balasela Award. Due to the project's high safety standards, the department has been granted a railway safety permit by the Railway Safety Regulator for three years from 2009 to 2012. The department is now running a daily service between AmaBhele and Mthatha.
Since the introduction of the daily service in March 2009, more than 125 000 passengers have been transported and this is an average of more than 12 000 passengers per month.
This increase was further caused by the quality of the service, which improved since the introduction of new coaches with:
* a power car
* a luggage car
* a business class coach, seating 48 passengers
* a four sleeper coach, accommodating 24 passengers
* two six sleeper coaches, each accommodating 36 passengers
* a catering car, consisting of two serving areas and a fully equipped kitchen
* five economy class coaches, each seating 64 passengers
Thus, a single Kei Rail train is able to transport 464 passengers in comfort between Mthatha and East London. The luggage car, combined with reinforced overhead luggage racks, ensures all coaches have ample space for passengers to travel comfortably. Even relatively large loads of luggage are able to be accommodated.
All passenger coaches are fitted with bathrooms. Besides the five economy class coaches, all coaches are also fitted with hot water geysers. The sleeper coaches also have showers.
Housed in a six metre container, the new Kei Rail power car generator produces enough electricity to run the train for a full 90 hours, using 3 600 litres of fuel.
To ensure the comfort of passengers, Kei Rail has added a coach to house luggage which may not fit in the reinforced luggage racks in the coaches themselves. Passengers are able to transport even large items of luggage comfortably.
The brand new Kei Rail catering car features two serving areas and a fully equipped kitchen. Fully qualified staff serves healthy meals and packaged food to Kei Rail passengers, ensuring their comfort and satisfaction.
"This means that we are serious about improving the conditions of our trains in order to attract more people back to rail," added MEC Barry.
The project is contributing to the social development and economic growth in the eastern part of the province. In the last financial year, 370 employment opportunities have been created through activities such as track maintenance, train operations, train traffic management and other general maintenance of coaches and station buildings.
This year, as part of our 10 year rail plan, the department will start the station upgrade programme, which will run over the next three years and will see the five main stations (AmaBhele, Komga, Butterworth, Dutywa and Mthatha) on the Kei Rail line being on modern day stations with facilities to accommodate the disabled and the elderly as well at a cost of R2 million.
Media contact:
Ncedo Kumbaca
Cell: 082 442 3882
Issued by: Department of Transport, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
2 June 2010
