Cable theft halts trip to Cape Town
Long-awaited return of Shosholoza Meyl service disappoints eager travellers
It was trip for which many South Africans had waited more than two years. But the much-celebrated return of the Shosholoza Meyl passenger service between Johannesburg and Cape Town this week ended prematurely in frustration and disappointment.
After pulling out of Park Station on Thursday afternoon, the train reached Wellington station, 70km from its destination, when it came to a halt, leaving passengers stranded.
Stolen overhead cables further down the line, between Kraaifontein and Muldersvlei, were to blame. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) had to bring in a bus so passengers could complete the final stage of the trip into Cape Town.
It was a blow to Prasa’s plan to revive the high-demand route ahead of the festive season.
Rail transport consultant Willem Sprong said the government should consider banning the sale of second-hand copper and aluminium as a way of ending the theft of cables and other rail infrastructure.
Sprong, who works as a consultant for both Transnet and its security firm, ADT, said criminals focused on the contact wire that connects power to trains.
“That wire cannot be replaced by aluminium or steel, it has to remain copper,” he said.
“Every 10km-12km there is a substation. If that cable touches the ground, the substation will trip. These [thieves] take a wooden pole and attach a saw to the pole. Then they cut the cable without getting shocked.
“As soon as the cable touches the ground, it trips the substation and they can steal it without being electrocuted,” he said. “It is difficult to secure rail infrastructure. You cannot have security personnel everywhere along the rail line. The best solution is to make the sale of copper and aluminium illegal.”
Prasa spokesperson Andiswa Makanda yesterday described the Shosholoza Meyl disruption as “unpredictable”.
“This incident, though beyond our direct control, underscores the pressing challenge of copper wire theft affecting our services. We are taking robust measures with our partners to safeguard our infrastructure and minimise such unpredictable disruptions in the future.”
She said 41 passengers were on board at the time, and had completed their journey by bus. “The contingency plan was activated well in advance and on arrival at Wellington station, the bus was already waiting for the passengers.”
The train was running on a Transnet line. Transnet spokesperson Mary Papayya referred the Sunday Times to a social media post from the company, which said: “A Prasa train was staged at Wellington and train passengers were sent by bus to their destination. Rail network repair teams worked throughout the day and full rail services were restored at 2.30 this afternoon [Friday].”
Vandalism of rail infrastructure worsened during the Covid lockdown in 2020.
Prasa is expected to spend R50bn over the next three years on infrastructure as it tries to recover lost rail corridors and modernise its operations.
Sprong said there were discussions about using diesel locomotives due to the vandalism of rail infrastructure.
“The energy costs on diesel are high,” he said. “It is six times more expensive to run a train with diesel than electricity. The logistics behind diesel locomotives are also an issue. You need to refill the locomotive at the depot with diesel. They also need to go for maintenance much more often.”
In November last year, the government banned the export of copper and all copper alloys for six months to try to curb the theft and vandalism of public infrastructure. In June the ban was extended for a further six months. However, it appears to have had little effect.
This incident underscores the pressing challenge of copper wire theft affecting our services
Andiswa Makanda
Prasa spokesperson