The first batch of new diesel locomotives for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) arrived at the Cape Town harbour on Wednesday.

The trains were met by Transport Minister Dipuo Peters who walked towards the Afro4002 loco and kissed it.

The Minister then told journalists that the delivery of the locos was an exciting moment for government and PRASA because they would go a long way in reducing travel time, providing comfort, reliability and improving efficiency.

The docking of the four locos follows the unveiling of the first one – Afro4001 diesel locomotive – at the Cape Town Station last month.

“We are happy that when we said 2015, the first trains will be landing in South Africa, in January 2015 there is the delivery of the train. We are very excited.

“At different times this year, trains will be delivered.

“One of the key things the government is focussing on, between 2014 to 2019, is to improve on public transport, in particular our drive to move people from road to rail. This is part of the initiative because in that way, we will be able to deal with the carnage on the roads. We will be able to reduce the number of people who actually die,” Minister Peters said.

The Minister was accompanied by the Chairperson of the PRASA board Dr Popo Molefe and the agency’s Group CEO Lucky Montana.

The roll-out of the locos are expected to contribute to the rail operator’s plan of modernising the country’s rail infrastructure, including rolling stock, signal upgrade, infrastructure rehabilitation, station modernisation, new locomotives for long distance passenger services.

All in all, 70 high-tech locomotives are expected to be delivered over the next few months, and they will be made up of 50 Euro Dual electro-diesel and 20 Euro 4000 diesel locomotives.

As they arrive, PRASA will take them to the track to test them until March, and thereafter, the locos will start operating from April this year.

– SAnews.gov.za