A much-anticipated Rail Enforcement Unit was launched during a ceremony on Cape Town railway station on Monday morning, with the hope of securing the safety of passengers and critical infrastructure on the city's beleaguered rail network.

The establishment of the unit follows the memorandum of agreement between the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Government and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) which operates the Metrorail system.

City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Transport and Urban Development, Brett Herron, said: "Up to 100 officers have undergone extensive training over the past few months. They are now ready to be deployed to assist the existing security services with the challenges that our urban rail service is facing."

The City said the formation of this unit is a demonstration of the "collaborative spirit between the different spheres of government" and also the commitment from all of those that are involved to ensure that the project is a success.

"The pilot project is to run for a period of at least 12 months," Herron said.