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 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
Windows were smashed when the Pretoria-Johannesburg “Tshwane Business Express” was stoned at Kempton Park, apparently because it was given priority over ordinary Metrorail commuter trains following a power failure. In another incident, angry commuters forced their way into the Business Express when there were problems with the regular suburban trains, which were running late. [...] [...more]
Posted on 19 February 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
On 11 February, the Blue Train and two other Cape main-line passenger expresses were diverted via Bloemfontein due to a goods train derailment at Warrenton, 70km north of Kimberley. The Blue was held for some time at Hennenman, 42km south of Kroonstad, due to catenary theft. Eventually diesel locomotives took it forward. During the previous [...] [...more]
Posted on 19 February 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
A 20-year-old University of Cape Town student from America is “very lucky” to be alive after being hit (from behind) by a Metrorail commuter train near Stellenbosch. She was cycling with friends at a crossing near Lynedoch about 11:00 on 6 February, but somehow failed to see the train pulling away from the station. She sustained [...] [...more]
Posted on 12 February 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Carolyn Frost, editor of The Bolander (Western Cape) was outraged. Maybe you will be too: “The inhumane dumping of a pregnant dog, found tied to railroad tracks near Wellington last Friday, has resulted in a wave of outrage nationally (and it wouldn’t surprise me if it has made international ripples as well). It defies comprehension that [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 February 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
On 25 January, an 18-year-old college student was killed when struck by a train as he crossed the tracks at Ysterplaat station, a few kilometres from the Cape Town terminal. Press reports quoted police saying that traffic was not seriously disrupted. [ Elaborate pedestrian bridges have been provided to link Ysterplaat station with the Paarden Eiland [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 February 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
South Africa’s Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) is to undertake a second series of inspections in Cape Town during February, with specific reference to lines in Philippi and Nyanga. The work forms part of endeavours to ensure that Metrorail adheres to a directive in respect of train safety. Two previous audits were carried out in October and [...] [...more]
Posted on 15 January 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Fatalities in the 21 December derailment of a Uganda-bound passenger train in the Shimoni area of Kiberia (the large Nairobi informal settlement) were expected to total as many as seven. Workers clearing up a previous derailment at the same place during the previous week were said to have been trapped in the second accident, according [...] [...more]
