Mlamlankuzi (F 9)

Name: Mlamlankuzi

This morning, The Star went to the Ikwezi and Mlamlankuzi train stations in Soweto and things seemed normal. The protected strike was called on Friday

JOHANNESBURG - Metrorail is investigating the cause of fire that burnt a train travelling from Vereeniging to Johannesburg on Wednesday night, spokesman Sibusiso Ngomane said yesterday.

He said the cause of the fire was not yet known but investigation was under way.

According to Johannesburg emergency management services spokesman Percy Morokane, the fire started at around 8pm in Mlamlankuzi, Soweto near New Canada station. “Four of the six coaches affected, burnt completely”, Morokane said.

None of the commuters sustained injuries.

By Citizen Reporter
The Citizen 15/01/10

Rail crashes 'due to human error'
2000-12-08 17:17

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Johannesburg - Three recent Gauteng train accidents which left four people dead and more than 100 injured, were caused by human error and thus cleared Metrorail of any blame, a board of inquiry found.

The head of the inquiry, Willem le Roux, who is also an independent safety expert, handed the report to Metrorail chief executive officer Honey Mateya in Johannesburg on Friday.

The board consisted of Le Roux, two attorneys, two independent technical experts, Metrorail's senior manager of train operations and a Metrorail legal adviser.

They investigated three train accidents which happened at New Canada on November 15, Mlamlankunzi on October 31 and Wadeville on November 7.

Four people, including two train drivers, were killed and more than 100 injured when two Metrorail trains collided head-on between Wadeville and Katlehong.

Five were slightly injured when one Metrorail train crashed into another, stationary, at Mlamlankunzi station in Industria, Soweto.

One person was slightly injured when two Metrorail trains were involved in a sideways collision at New Canada station near Soweto.

The report found that the Wadeville accident was caused by the train control officer who failed to comply with safety rules.

"He had authorised a train driven by driver Smit to travel on the particular line between Elsburg and Kwesine, although another train, driven by driver Van den Heever, was still occupying the same line and was returning to Elsburg."

At Mlamlankuzi, the train control officer was also to blame for the accident, the report said.

"The Board found that the method of trains working was appropriate and safe, provided that the staff adhered to the applicable rules."

The side-on collision at New Canada was the fault of the train driver who "did not adhere to applicable safety rules".

"He failed to stop at a signal and furthermore, failed to wait for the receipt of an authorisation to proceed into the section."

The board recommended that formal safety and hazard risk assessments be done and that disciplinary action be instituted against both train control officers, the Wadeville supervisor and the train driver.

Mateya reacted to the findings, saying that action would be taken against the employees, but that he did not want to go into the details.

"In all these incidents, the common thread appears to be that of human error. Safety procedures have been found to be both appropriate and adequate," Mateya said.

However, he said training exercises would be stepped up, safety management procedures would be reviewed and an "intensified risk assessment procedure would be introduced to identify problem areas so that appropriate steps can be taken".

The SA Footplate Staff Association (Safsa) also attended the hand-over of the report.

Safsa general secretary Chris de Vos said the union should have been invited to participate in the inquiry.

He also criticised Metrorail for not making any constructive recommendations such as putting automatic stopping signals in place at railways.

Le Roux said such proposals could be considered after the risk assessment had been completed.

Public Enterprises Minister Jeff Radebe also attended the ceremony and praised Metrorail for its commitment to safety measures.

He also said Transport Minister Dullah Omar, who was scheduled to attend the briefing but did not arrive, would establish further inquiries into train accidents over the past year. - Sapa


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