The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has initiated restoration work on the Vereeniging train line south of Johannesburg, dormant for over five years since the Covid-19 lockdown. Vandalism led to the suspension, and recent efforts address a sinkhole and other infrastructure damage to resume services for local commuters.
Trains on the Vereeniging line ceased operations more than five years ago during the Covid-19 lockdown, when inadequate security allowed widespread theft of overhead cables and vandalism of infrastructure. Commuters in southern Johannesburg areas like Lenasia, Lawley, Ennerdale, Orange Farm, Sebokeng, and Evaton have relied on costlier alternatives such as taxis, severely impacting daily travel and local small businesses.
Prasa announced in a recent social media post that restoration efforts are underway. Contractors completed repairs in 2024, including re-railing tracks from Lawley to Residensia and renovating electricity substations and overhead traction equipment from Lawley to Stretford. However, a sinkhole between Midway and Lenasia stations halted full operations, with trains currently limited to Midway, bordering Soweto.
On January 8, 2026, work began on the sinkhole, expected to take several months. This initiative forms part of Prasa's broader plan to restore the corridor to Orange Farm and ultimately Vereeniging, reinstating a vital, affordable public transport link to Johannesburg.
Local resident Lucky Sibeko from Lawley highlighted the hardship: “It used to be so convenient to take the train all the way to Jozi. Now you have to take multiple taxis, and the cost is too much for our people. Some people moved their businesses closer to Lenasia taxi rank to survive, others just closed down.”
Despite progress on new cable installations, sections of restored overhead lines have been damaged again, and vegetation along the tracks remains overgrown. Prasa did not respond to queries about vandalism prevention plans.
