Trains collide, scores left injured

[Derek Walker]

An estimated 200 people were injured and others trapped in wreckage when two trains collided at Wonderboom station, north of Pretoria, on Friday.

A statement from the Railway Safety Regulator said an accident investigator had been sent to the scene for a preliminary investigation into the cause.

"The RSR will conduct a full investigation on this incident. We remain deeply perturbed by the prevalence of these incidents which place the lives of commuters at harms way," the body said.

It added that an urgent meeting with senior executives of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), the parent company of Metrorail had been agreed upon
The regulator said the parties were expected to present their plans detailing how they intended to curb the frequent incidents of train accidents.

"The RSR has already begun targeted audits focusing on communications and signalling infrastructure as part of a broader exercise to ensure the integrity of safety critical infrastructure in the rail environment inclusive of the rolling stock," the regulator said.

No fatalities were reported shortly after the accident just before 7pm. - Sapa

From iol May 08 2009 at 10:58PM

[John Ashworth]

Tragic. When I was living in Pretoria North I used to drive past Wonderboom Station every day on the way to work, so this feels close to home. There was another accident there a couple of years ago, not a collision, I believe, but when a train ploughed into a crowd who were gathered on the track.

[John Ashworth]

A slightly longer article saying much the same, from iafrica.com:

200 hurt in train smash

Sat, 09 May 2009 08:56

An estimated 200 people were injured and others trapped in wreckage after two trains collided at the Wonderboom train station north of Pretoria on Friday, the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) said.

RSR said in a statement that a senior accident investigator was dispatched to the scene of the incident to conduct a preliminary investigation to determine the cause.

"The RSR will conduct a full investigation on this incident. We remain deeply perturbed by the prevalence of these incidents which place the lives of commuters at harms way," the body said.

It added that an urgent meeting with senior executives of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), the parent company of Metrorail had been agreed upon.

The regulator said the parties were expected to present their plans detailing how they intended to curb the frequent incidents of train accidents.

"The RSR has already begun targeted audits focusing on communications and signalling infrastructure as part of a broader exercise to ensure the integrity of safety critical infrastructure in the rail environment inclusive of the rolling stock," the regulator said.

No fatalities were reported shortly after the accident just before 7pm.

ER24 spokesman Werner Vermaak earlier told the SABC: "A few moments ago paramedics were placed on high alert after two trains apparently collided with each other.

"At this stage paramedics have counted over 80 patients that have been injured and numerous other patients are believed to be trapped underneath the wreckage."

"At this stage local clinical stations on the site will be opened and paramedics will assess and treat patients from the scene," he said.

Sapa

[Steve Appleton]

Tragic. The third Metrorail collision this year, if my memory is correct. Soweto/Lenasia, then Benoni, now Wonderboom, a station twice traversed by FOTR travellers on each of the Tshwane Xplorer trains. All seem startlingly similar: rear-enders.
In my opinion, the RSR must and presumably will get tough on safety in the urban areas and that will probably have implications for us all, including heritage rail operations like FOTR.