Train driver jumped a red light - PRASA

29 April 2015 - 14:09 By Shaun Smillie

The train that ploughed to a stationary train at Denver station in Johannesburg yesterday morning‚ killing one person and injuring 240 passengers‚ jumped a red signal. At a press conference this morning‚ the passenger rail agency of South Africa (PRASA) outlined what happened in the seconds before the fatal crash.Mosenngwa Mofi‚ PRASA's group CEO‚ explained that at 6;55am yesterday the Metro plus train had stopped at the station‚ because “he wasn't sure if the signal allowed him to proceed”.“He communicated with the train office and was stationary for two minutes‚” said Mofi.The signal behind the train was red‚ protecting the stationary train. A red rail signal‚ is the same as a red robot‚ to which a train driver has to stop.A micro processor‚ the equivalent of a train's black box‚ revealed what happened next.The Business Express train‚ 90 seconds before the accident‚ was travelling at 105 kilometres an hour.At 15 seconds before impact‚ the train was at 91 kilometres an hour‚ said Mofi.The train slammed into the Metro express at 61 kilometres an hour.This‚ PRASA CEO Lucky Montana said‚ stressed the need for Metro Rail to modernise their fleet of trains. He said new trains are soon to be added to their fleet. These will have added safety features including systems that will slow the train down if a driver ignores a signal.Montana said that the driver of the stationary train did everything right.The preliminary finding ruled out fatigue as a cause of the accident.Of the 240 people injured in the accident‚ 187 were taken to different hospitals. As of this morning‚ Mofi said only five hadn’t been discharged...

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