The Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) says damage to a critical part of a train was the cause of a incident at the Dal Josafat train station last week.

Two carriages of a train derailed at the station near Paarl on 17 September. More than 20 people were injured in the incident, three of which sustained critical injuries. All injured passengers were taken to nearby hospitals that day, while other passengers were transported home.

According to the RSR’s preliminary investigation, the train was en route to Wellington from Kraaifontein, travelling on a mainline operated by Transnet Freight Rail. RSR spokesperson, Keatlegile Godwill Malete, says inspectors found that the leading coach and two trailers had derailed.

The investigation revealed damage to the train’s turnout – the mechanism that allows the train to change direction – specifically on the right-hand blade of the turnout.

“This led to the leading motor coach with commuters inside taking the intended route and the first plain trailer coach also with commuters inside taking the left turn. Therefore, the rest of the coaches followed the first plain trailer coach with commuters to the left, resulting in a derailment,” said Malete.

Further investigations are underway, but the regulator suggests that the speed of the train may have contributed to the accident. It also noted that the damage on the turnout may relate to maintenance issues.

Malete further indicated that the section of track where the accident occurred operates under manual authorisation, raising further questions about operational safety.

He says “corrective action plans”, aimed at preventing similar incidents in future, will be implemented once the investigation is complete.

Transnet Freight Rail and PRASA are conducting their investigations to determine the full extent of the incident.

In the meantime, the regulator will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that all necessary precautions are taken. A final report will be released once all outstanding information is received and reviewed, Malete says.

The Wellington to Cape Town train service is operational again from Monday, 23 September, following repairs at the Dal Josafat station.

“Our commuters’ safety remains our top priority thus both PRASA/Metrorail Western Cape and Transnet Freight Rail have established a Board of Inquiry to get to the root cause of the incident and to put remedial actions to prevent a future occurrence,” noted PRASA Rail Western Cape.

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