Metrorail Suffers Structural Damages to Rail Due to Group 5 Construction Works
15 August 2010
Metrorail Western Cape train services will be affected during morning peak hours tomorrow (Monday 16 August) as a result of structural damage caused by the collapse of a Group 5 girder. The 75 meter structure, estimated to weigh 75 tonnes collapsed onto Metrorail rail tracks during construction to the Koeberg Interchange.
The incident occurred this (Sunday) afternoon at 14:00 when the huge steel structure’s collapse damaged overhead electricity cables, rail tracks and disrupted the running of trains on the section between Cape Town and Kentemade Stations.
No rail commuters or Metrorail employees were injured and there were no trains on site at the time of the incident. Significant damage to the Metrorail infrastructure will impact on Metrorail’s ability to move passengers and will result in financial losses for Metrorail.
“Metrorail will have to take stock of the damages to our infrastructure, loss of revenue as well as the cost of hiring busses to ferry our passengers while the area is repaired. All costs will be forwarded to Group 5 for compensation. This puts our commuters at a great disadvantage as their travelling has been greatly disrupted, however, we are thankful that no one was injured during the incident. PRASA would like to call on the Provincial Government to investigate any possible negligence by Group 5 and the necessary steps taken should there be any evidence of negligence” said Mr Lucky Montana, Group CEO for PRASA.
With construction works taking place adjacent to the tracks, Metrorail will be engaging Group 5 Constructions, the company responsible for the collapse, to ensure that an incident of this nature does not occur again in future.
Due to the nature of the incident, all seven railway lines into Cape Town are affected to a greater or lesser degree. The section between Cape Town and Kentemade will not be operational for the duration of the clean-up process.
Alternative travelling arrangement available to commuters normally exiting at Ysterplaat and Esplanade Stations is to travel into Cape Town and then use the bus shuttle to the greater Paarden Island Industrial area and Century City precinct. A train shuttle will operate between Bellville and Century City, starting at 04:30, for the duration of the restoration of the rail tracks.
All trains from the North (Wellington/Kraaifontein/Bellville), the Metro South East (Chris Hani/Kapteinsklip) and Malmesbury will be routed via the direct Bellville – Cape Town line. Both Business Express trains will operate as usual.
All rail capacity will be available although delays are expected. The total estimated time to full recovery of the train service is 15:00 tomorrow afternoon, subject to change.
Train service information is available from the Transport Information Centre toll-free 0800 6564 63 or regional web-site www.capemetrorail.co.za and on www.prasa.com.