PICS: Metrorail halts train service in Pretoria due to cable theft

Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency (ANA)

Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Jul 3, 2020

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Pretoria – Just two days after the reintroduction of a limited Metrorail train service in Pretoria, it has now been halted due to cable theft.

In a statement on Friday, Metrorail said trains on the Pienaarsport-Pretoria line were not running due to cable theft at Loftus Station, with the first empty train which departed Pretoria Station towards Pienaarsport having to turn back due to hanging wires which made it impossible for the diesel locomotive to pass.

“Metrorail technical teams are hard at work assessing the damage with a view to repair in time for the afternoon peak service," it added.

The passenger train service apologised to commuters for the inconvenience and urged them to seek alternative transportation to get to their destinations. 

Acting Metrorail manager for Gauteng province Jackie Moshe urged communities to work with authorities against the scourge of cable theft. 

“We are deeply saddened by the malicious damage to the infrastructure and call upon the public to unite against this attack,” she said. 

%%%twitter https://twitter.com/MbalulaFikile?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MbalulaFikile @Abramjee @HeadofficeUntu @SatawuMedia @zammayaba pic.twitter.com/Ksyd4Dn66p

— metrorailGauteng (@metrorailgp)

Prior to Wednesday's limited resumption, Metrorail train services had been suspended for about three months during the stricter levels of a nationwide lockdown imposed by the South African government to curb the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.

In a statement earlier this week, Metrorail Gauteng said the limited service would be provided through two train sets expected to run 12 train trips daily, with longer turnaround times to allow for their sanitising at terminal/end stations.

It said diesel locomotives would be utilised until all infrastructure challenges were resolved in the corridor.

Each train would carry 486 commuters and would be cleaned and disinfected overnight, it added, advising commuters that the service would be phased in gradually, with stops only at key stations. Less-patronised stations would initially not reopen.

African News Agency/ANA

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