Metrorail blaze meant to cripple rail service – Nzimande
METRORAIL was dealt yet another blow when eight more carriages at the Cape Town station caught fire during an incident that Transport Minister Blade Nzimande believed was done deliberately to cripple the passenger rail service.
Police confirmed that a man was being questioned, but no one has been arrested or detained in connection with the incident.
Nzimande conceded that they had not been able to catch the people behind the attacks. The incident took place while the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) board and its management members were briefing Parliament’s transport portfolio committee yesterday.
Prasa put its losses due to arson attacks on its Metrorail trains at R636 million over the past three years, with 71% of the those incidents taking place in the Western Cape.
The agency has lost R451.6m in the province due to gutted train coaches.
A stationary train at platform 17 caught fire and the flames leapt across the tracks to a train at the adjoining platform 18, resulting in eight train carriages being burned.
Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott said the ticket office on the Parade concourse also suffered fire damage.
“Fire and emergency services were quick to respond to the fire and managed to contain the blaze within minutes. No injuries have been reported. Platforms 17 and 18 remain closed until the burnt trains are removed. Commuters must consult the region’s passenger information channels for platform changes and revised operating schedules.”
Scott said a preliminary investigation also found that the overhead electrical wiring above the two platforms was damaged.
“A structural team will assess the damage after the scene has been cleared. As soon as the carriages are removed, Prasa’s loss adjusters will be able to assess the damage and determine a cost of repair or replacement. The incident increases the total loss of carriages due to fire to 175 (May 2015 to date).”
Nzimande said: “We are concerned as the department (that) it’s very clear that there is actually a plan to attack this property of Prasa that’s undermining rail passenger transport.
“We have been working with the minister of police but we need to escalate this further to actually involve the entire (justice, crime prevention and security) cluster because… we cannot catch the people who are doing this and even the few people that have been charged have got off scot-free.”
Responding to calls to declare a state of emergency with regard to rail transport in the Western Cape, Nzimande said he neither had the power nor believed this was necessary.
Mayco member for urban development and transport, Brett Herron, said: “Our urban rail system is operating at a fraction of the capacity it needs to service the demand.”