Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to form a joint working committee with the City of Cape Town for the urgent devolution of the railway system.

In a letter sent by Hill-Lewis to Ramaphosa on Monday, the mayor asked the president to confirm if the Cabinet-approved White Paper on National Rail Policy to devolve rail to capable metros still stands, given a "series of recent anti-devolution comments from within the African National Congress (ANC)".

He asked Ramaphosa "to form a joint working committee with the City to chart the way towards rail devolution in the shortest possible time. If we don't do this critical preparation now, it will take many years for rail to be devolved for the metro to run."

Hill-Lewis said the City could not accept delays, given that residents desperately need an affordable, safe and reliable rail service in Cape Town.

"In fact, lower-income households will save up to R932-million per year with an efficient passenger rail service in Cape Town.

Our research also shows that getting the trains running will sustain over 51 000 jobs and add R11-billion to the local economy each year."

The City has been pushing to take over the management of rail services in the metro.

Hill-Lewis said the municipality's devolution feasibility study was well under way, adding that they were ready to join hands with the national government to resuscitate Cape Town's collapsed passenger rail system.

"We are concerned about recent anti-devolution comments in the media by the newly appointed transport minister and the ANC's policy head economic transformation," he said.

Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed receiving the letter.

"The process is still with the Department of Transport. The president will respond directly to the mayor," he said.

In May last year, Cabinet passed the White Paper on National Rail Policy, which commits to devolving rail to capable metros and producing a rail devolution strategy in 2023.

Fast-forward to May this year and newly appointed Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga told media that there are no plans to devolve rail to the City.

Earlier this year, outgoing transport minister Fikile Mbalula declined to form a working committee, confirming in a letter to Hill-Lewis that his department "has not been given a directive by the government and I to start with any form of devolution".