Train services were disrupted on the Gautrain line between Pretoria and Hatfield stations yesterday afternoon after a truck plunged onto the railway tracks, killing one person and leaving the driver injured.
The accident took place before rush hour, forcing Gautrain authorities to close the line as emergency services recovered the body and removed the injured driver. Passengers were ferried by bus between the two stations.
Last night Gautrain spokesman Kesagee Nayager said it was hoped the service would return to normal by this morning.
The accident happened just before 3pm when the five-ton truck ploughed through concrete barriers protecting the tracks in Muckleneuk.
“The truck must have been travelling at some speed to crash through the concrete barriers,” said Tshwane Emergency Management Services spokesman Johan Pieterse.
Emergency personnel had to use the “jaws of life” to extract the injured driver and the body of the dead passenger.
“Luckily, there was no train passing train at the time,” said Pieterse.
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