Metrorail line fire causer problem identified. The train from Joburg to Tshwane caught fire, reportedly caused by high-tension overhead wires. An electrical fault has been identified as the cause of a fire on the Metrorail line on Tuesday that left commuters stranded.
Metrorail spokeswoman Lillian Mofokeng said: “There was a burning train as a result of a rolling stock fault. No one was hurt and the fire brigade was at the scene to stop the fire.”
She said one motor coach was burned and the train service was delayed as no trains could pass until the area was cleared. She said the incident happened at Fountains between Pretoria and Centurion stations. Mofokeng said shuttle buses were arranged between the two stations.
Angry commuters in Cape Town last month burned a train after complaining of poor service delivery. There and in other parts of the country, Metrorail commuters keep complaining about trains that do not arrive on time, while others complain about the state of the coaches.
Mamelodi commuters recently complained about their coaches which had no windows. Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa interim group CEO Sibusiso Sithole said squatters stole the windows to put in their shacks or to sell to recycling companies.