Railways Africa

On 10 June, police arrested 184 people on a train from Khayelitsha at Esplanade, one station before Cape Town. Western Cape police spokesman Captain Frederick van Wyk alleged they were on their way to “dump human waste in the city”. They were charged in court with public violence and convening a gathering without notice. Most [...]

An extraordinarily detailed report on a level crossing accident appeared in the Tanzania Daily News (a Dar es Salaam paper) on 29 May. A commuter train hit a car near Moshi Bar at Ukonga in Dar es Salaam the previous day. Public Relations Officer Patrick Mvungi was quoted saying that a Ms Msoka, who sustained [...]

On 28 May, a man described in press reports as a vagrant who had been sleeping on the deck above Cape Town’s main station fell during the night onto the 3kV overhead traction wires, being instantly electrocuted. According to Metrorail regional manager Mthutuzile Swartz, platforms seven and eight were closed for three hours. Trains from [...]

Two Transnet Freight Rail goods trains collided at Brakpan on Gauteng’s East Rand on 21 May. Photos (see next issue of Railways Africa magazine) showed a class 36 diesel locomotive – 36 096 – on its side and considerable evidence of damage to rolling stock. Loco 36 095 was also damaged. Four crew members were [...]

Three men fleeing from a patrol on 23 May ran across one line of a double track section near Durban’s KwaMashu after a train passed but fell in front of another train on the second track. All three were ripped to pieces, leaving the Metrorail driver severely traumatised. Sections of electric cable found near the [...]

Well, that was the heading in the Diamond Field’s Advertiser, though it would have been a strange finding if it wasn’t dead. GWK employee Thomas Papier, 48, went missing for two days before his body was found at the Alex Transnet yard at Beaconsfield south of Kimberley, inside a railway wagon carrying five tons of [...]

On 5 May, a number of loaded ore wagons derailed on the Sishen-Saldanha line near Moravia, spilling their loads and ripping up a lengthy section of track.

Nathan Berelowitz reports that some 140 steel sleepers were stolen on the Cullinan line. The weekend passenger excursion scheduled by Friends of the Rail could get no further than Rayton junction on the main-line, with buses brought in to close the gap. It is hoped to have the line repaired in time for a photo [...]

Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) carried out a number of activities on 9 May as its contribution towards observing International Level Crossing Awareness day, which fell on the seventh. TFR says it will be driving “intense awareness” for three months, ie during May to July. Each Business Unit will identify two level crossings for special attention. [...]

On 29 April, at about 09:45 during shunting operations at Trichardt station, Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) yard employee Ayanda Dlamini was fatally injured. Apparently three tankcars had been shunted into the centre road and detached. The locomotive then pulled away to fetch further wagons. Dlamini evidently remained with the three tankcars, awaiting the next move. [...]