 Arsene attacks cost Metroral R5 20 million in damages. Cape Town, Metroral suffered damages to the tune of R5 20.8 million due to Arsene attacks which saw 174 trains go up in smoke in the past four years. The attacks crippled the local rail service which now has only 44 out of 88 train sets operating. Local advocacy groups have petitioned President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare Cape Town's trains, which are run by the Passenger Rail Association of S.A., Prisa, a national disaster. In his State of the Nation address on Thursday night, Ramaphosa said he was taking steps to get state-owned enterprises, SOs, such as Prisa back on track. We want our SOs to be fully self-sufficient and be able to fulfill their development and economic role. We have established the Presidential SO Council, which will provide political oversight and strategic management in order to reform, reposition and revitalize SOs, Ramaphosa said. The former acting chief executive at Prisa, Uthuzeli Swartz, was dismissed last November and later charged with fraud, money laundering and theft of railway lines and sleepers to the tune of R1.5M. To restore proper corporate governance, new boards with credible, appropriately experienced, and ethical directors, have been appointed at Escom, Penal, Tranesnet, Safkal, Prisa and S.A. Express, Ramaphosa said. Last year, 56 coaches were destroyed in attacks on the Western Cape's commuter rail service. There have been no new arson attacks since October, when two trains were set on fire in Cape Town station, while just a few kilometers away, Transport Minister Blade and Zimanda and Prisa were busy briefing Parliament about how they planned to stop train attacks. Metroral spokeswoman Rihanna Scott said a joint effort between Metroral Protection Services, SAP's rapid rail response unit and private security contractors has resulted in hundreds of arrests since March. Last year Metroral Western Cape acquired forensic ability, deployed additional armed security in priority areas and implemented surveillance technology, arrests started to increase immediately and the first conviction followed soon. Anonymous tip-offs contribute to a significant number of arrests, Scott said. While trying to repair and replace lost coaches, Metroral engineers are also fighting to modernize the service against a scourge of metal theft, vandalism, and decrepit old infrastructure. The full modernization of the Western Cape's rail service is anticipated to cost R9 billion. A significant chunk of that expenditure will be on new trains, with our 3BN earmark to replace lost sets. Depot modernization will cost our 2.6BN, station upgrades are 1.6BN, and re-signalling our 1.2BN projects underway total R292M. Scott said Metroral had already completed its new nerve center from which all the signalling of trains would be monitored, and several areas already had new signalling installed and were operational. However, vandalism is delaying improvements where they are most desperately needed. The central area as the busiest line was designated to be modernized first. However due to the devastating impact of vandalism and theft in the Bonta-Huel Netreg-Nianga Triangle, only two out of four lines remain operable, she said. The next stations to be upgraded are Nolunjial, Bonta-Huel, Mandalay, Lentasure and Stock Road. The new Philippi station is nearly complete. Metroral has already launched the rail enforcement unit to boost security and crowd management on trains, partly funded by the city council. This put 100 extra law enforcement officers along the system.