Posted on 08 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Following the breakdown of a Eurostar train in south-east England, the several hundred passengers aboard had to wait more than an hour before a replacement train arrived to take them to St Pancras station in London. Although the train lights failed initially, emergency units “eventually” switched in. [...more]
Posted on 08 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Three high school girls aged 16 and 17 and four adults died on 3 March when the Toyota Venture panel van in which they were travelling to a school in Welgeval, outside Rustenburg, collided with a Transnet Freight Rail locomotive at the Heystekrand level crossing on the Thabazimbi line. The driver of the van was [...] [...more]
Posted on 08 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
According to BuaNews, the government’s news publication, a Transnet Freight Rail goods train was set alight at Kleigrond near Vereeniging on 1 March, apparently by local people protesting about service delivery shortcomings. Though no injuries were reported, train operations on the line were immediately suspended, causing considerable inconvenience to commuters using Metrorail suburban passenger services. Appealing [...] [...more]
Posted on 08 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Harsh weather has caused widespread rail disruption across Sweden. Urban metro services were badly affected in temperatures as low as -25 degrees Celsius, and all train operations between Stockholm and Gothenburg came to a standstill. Infrastructure minister Åsa Torstensson said the situation was “catastrophe” and blamed Banverket, the National Rail Administration, for failing in its [...] [...more]
Posted on 08 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
On 18 February, eight of Amtrak’s 26 weekday trains between the Washington DC region and New York city were cancelled following track damage in a severe storm the previous day. CSX Transportation company staff battled to repair the lines. North of New York city, power outages along Amtrak’s line between Albany-Rensselaer and Poughkeepsie delayed some trains [...] [...more]
Posted on 08 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
On 23 February, according to the Orange County Register, a 57-year-old Los Angeles man fell onto the track at Irvine station and was hit by a Metrolink suburban passenger train. Paramedics treated injuries to his left arm and right hand. His left hand was missing – apparently lost two weeks earlier, on 8 February, at [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
A resident of Beaver Dam, Kentucky, who drove onto the railway on 29 January, abandoned her vehicle when it became stuck on the track. Within minutes it was hit by a train. Kentucky State Police arrested 37-year-old Christina Moore, charged her with DUI (driving under the influence) and found accommodation for her in the [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
On 18 February, 22 wagons in a freight train on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railway derailed near the city hall in Santa Fe. Ten were tankcars, some carrying propane. Two tankcars were punctured, spilling an asphalt-based oil and solid waste, and residents in the area were evacuated as a precaution. The city’s mayor says [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
On 7 February, two men in a bakkie travelling on the N1 in the direction of Cape Town are thought to have swerved to avoid hitting a vagrant. The vehicle hurtled through a large gap in a bridge railing near the Joostenberg Vlakte off-ramp and flew through the air for several metres before landing on [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Railways in the north east of the United States were brought to a halt by the worst weather in decades. Washington’s metropolitan system closed down all surface portions of its system, retaining service only on the underground sections. Amtrak cancelled 18 intercity trains between Washington and New York, and also between Washington and various destinations [...] [...more]
