The Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) says it will assess the remedial work after illegal digging caused water and soil to seep into a section of a Gautrain tunnel.
According to the Gautrain Management Agency, investigations have established that illegal drilling for a borehole was being conducted on a private property above the tunnel. Train operations between Rosebank and Park Stations had to be suspended.
The regulator's spokesperson Madelein Williams said: “The RSR will investigate to determine the cause of the disruption.
“Additionally, the RSR will interrogate the operator's risk management strategies and contingency plans to ascertain their preparedness for externalities that could compromise safe railway operations.”
Gauteng transport and logistics MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela visited the site on Sunday to assess work being done to repair the section of the tunnel affected by the seepage.
“Ensuring the safety of passengers remains the primary focus while the repairs are taking place. A Gautrain bus replacement service has been set up between Rosebank and Park stations,” she said.
Gautrain spokesperson Albi Modise confirmed buses will run every 15 minutes between the two stations from 5.30am to 8.30pm as an interim measure.
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