With regards to the article written on 20 October 2016 by a Staff Reporter from Iafrica, PRASA notes with concern the article which alleges that PRASA bought an entire new fleet that does not fit South African Railway tracks. There is an obvious confusion between the acquisition of the long-distance locomotives from Swifambo and the new passenger rail fleet that PRASA is acquiring from Alstom.
PRASA is NOT modifying any of its fleet Nor is it doing any modification of the locomotives it acquired from Swifambo. The acquisition of the locomotives is a subject of a court case which PRASA has filed as it seeks to set aside the contract. Any suggestion that PRASA is doing any modification to the locomotive is not true and unfounded.
PRASA went into detail explaining the difference between a locomotive and a Metrorail passenger train to the staff reporter who conducted a face to face interview on the mock-up train at Pretoria Station. We also emphasised that the train is already being tested on the current rail tracks at the de Wildt line which was widely covered on television and newspapers.
We therefore appeal to all media to seek correct information on the difference between a locomotive and the new PRASA passenger train.