Thousands of Cape Flats train commuters were left stranded on Monday due to vandalism.
Train services on the central line including Chris Hani to Kapteinsklip and the Bishop Lavis lines, were suspended as Metrorail set about repairing damaged infrastructure.
The rail agency called on police to assist them so services on the central line could back to normal today.
Metrorail says the drastic measure comes in the wake of months of vandalism, cable theft and destruction of critical infrastructure in the Bontheuwel - Netreg - Nyanga area “having reached a stage where no further service is possible”.
Metrorail on Sunday asked commuters to make alternative arrangements and said people could use their train tickets to travel on Golden Arrow buses.
Despite this request, thousands of people arrived at stations only to be left stranded.
At Kraaifontein station, thousands of people waited for hours for trains from as early as 4am.
At Kapteinsklip, Netreg and Bonteheuwel stations, there was a mad rush as mense piled into taxis and buses.
Metrorail manager Richard Walker said technical teams were doing repairs “under armed escort”, but feared vandals would strike again.
“Our teams report from the site that they are being observed as they work,” said Walker.
“We are in engaging with SAPS [SA Police Service] management on how to deal with the increasingly aggressive and destructive attacks on infrastructure.”
He asked the public to piemp the vandals, as continued vandalism “will put PRASA’s modernisation projects for the corridor at risk”.
A reward of up to R25 000 has been offered for information leading to a conviction.
Iris Jensen, 54, from Valhalla Park, a domestic working in the Cape Town CBD, says her boss fetched her at home.
“I got to work at 11am. My boss pays me per hour and I will have to give him the petrol money it took to pick me up. These criminals who rob us do not care about our food for our children,” she says.
Braydon Williams, 39, from Kraaifontein, was travelling to Cape Town but said he went home as it was too expensive for him to take a taxi.
“I will lose more money by still trying to get to work. This people must sort out the trains and I will go to work when it is done,” he said.