Signals top suspect in Joburg train crash

20 July 2015 - 02:02 By RDM News Wire

Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters has called for the railways' management to expedite the testing of the signalling system that has been blamed for a train crash in Johannesburg last week that left more than 230 people injured. The accident occurred during the evening peak period on Friday, between Booysens and Crown stations, near Soweto.Some coaches were derailed.According to the Railway Safety Regulator, which made an independent investigation into the cause of the accident, one of the Metrorail trains was stationary at a red signal just before Crown station at the time of the collision."The signals, which were supposed to protect train 9934, were observed to be yellow, when they should have been red," the regulator said.All the injured were taken to nearby hospitals. Some, including the driver of one of the trains, have been discharged.The safety regulator said: "[We are] of the view that the defective signalling system in the section between Kazerne and New Canada stations is an immediate threat to safe railway operations."The regulator has, therefore, taken the decision to issue a prohibition directive, with immediate effect, on the utilisation of the signalling system as a primary mode of train protection."Peters has called on the regulator and the Passenger Rail Agency of SA to expedite the testing of the signalling system between Johannesburg and Naledi, as well as between Booysens and New Canada stations."Should the testing take longer than expected, Prasa and the regulator should communicate contingency plans to the affected communities through the mass media and Metrorail communication channels," the transport ministry said. ..

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