New lease of life for Cape Town Station

[John Ashworth]

South Africa: New Lease On Life for Cape Town's Apartheid-Style 'Old Lady'
Business Day (Johannesburg)
4 April 2008

Chris Van Gass
Cape Town

Plans for a R323m upgrade for the city's railway station in time for 2010 have been finalised by Intersite, the rail property company.

The plan sees the existing station, built for apartheid-style commuter travel, get a facelift and reorganisation to make it commuter friendly for 2010.

Changes will address matters such as long-term bus operators moving to a new location with new retail opportunities being created. The plan also sees the reorganisation of informal traders, and will address priorities such as operational efficiency, information management, and safety and security, says Lindelo Matya, regional manager of Interstate.

He says it will give the "old lady" of Cape Town, built in 1960, a new lease of life, and fits into the overall planning for the station precinct to make it a people-centred destination, and fits into the longer-term plans for the station precinct.

Matya says R110m has been allocated specifically for 2010 projects, while R212m has been allocated for capital refurbishments.

An extensive public participation process involving all stakeholders, including the final "solutions generation" phase, has already been launched.

Building is expected to start in June, and should be completed by December next year.

Matya says Intersite and the SA Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC) and Metrorail were investigating options for the future of the station. One proposal is for an underground station that could free up vital and valuable real estate, now under railway tracks, to develop into real estate and for public open space activities.

This is one of the proposals being investigated for the "longer time horizon" after 2010, and so far no decision has been made on these proposals. Matya says the plans for 2010 include the refurbishing an extra five train sets by SARCC Metrorail , bringing the number of train sets operated in Western Cape to 83.

"Commuters and tourists will experience a completely changed travelling experience," says Matya.

Three station concourses will be cleaned up, better access provided and there will also be better lighting and more convenient ticket-selling points.

Matya says the better-organised retail space will open up the station for commuters, and the new long-distance bus facility will make this travel experience more pleasant.

Also planned is the installation of a new public address system and an integrated communication system to improve information on trains "significantly" and keep commuters and traders updated on any information relating to operations at the station.

Matya says inconvenience to commuters will be kept to a minimum, and they will be provided with more detailed information once construction begins.

More than 30 companies have been appointed to oversee various aspects of the projects, including urban design, construction and architecture.