New railway planned in south-east Cape Town

Railway line will connect Kuils River with Khayelitsha.

Cape Town has announced plans to develop a new railway line connecting the eastern Kuils River suburb with the neighbouring Khayelitsha district, a disadvantaged township on the south-east coast of the city.

The new rail line will have stations at Wimbledon, Blue Downs and Mfuleni, and will be funded with R5 billion by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa.

Construction of the railway line, which was first mooted in the early 1990s, is expected to begin in the 2017/18 financial year and be completed within five years.

The railway is part of a broader “integration sheme” which would prioritise “transit-oriented growth and development.”

The plan includes identifying housing and employment opportunities near the MyCiTi bus routes in the south-east area as well as improving transport facilities in northern business districts including Bellville, Maitland, Parow, Goodwood and Salt River.