Rovos Rail crash

[Craig Duckham]

I reported earlier today that there was a train crash in Pretoria on the SA transport list.

Seems very bad and possible casualties

[Craig Duckham]

Rohan Vos is on the radio, giving his report of the accident
He said one staff member killed

[Craig Duckham]

the train set ran down the hill from Centurion and derailed before Pretoria station. Most of the passengers were not on board as they were watching the change of locomotive power.

[John Ashworth]

Train derails in Pretoria

iafrica.com
Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:21

At least 55 people were injured when a train derailed at the Bosman Street railway station in Pretoria, paramedics said on Wednesday.

Netcare 911 said the injuries ranged from minor to serious.

Paramedics and firefighters were still combing through the wreckage in search of victims.

It was not yet clear how the train derailed.

Tshwane Emergency Service's Johan Pieterse told Eyewitness News that paramedics were on the scene treating patients.

"There's still a few patients still trapped inside the coaches so the fire brigade personnel are attending to all those trapped and it's a search and rescue at the moment."

[John Ashworth]

the train set ran down the hill from Centurion and derailed

That's frightening. There'll be questions as to how it could have happened. Makes me shudder to think how many times I have performed that same locomotive change at Centurion when firing for Rovos.

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

News24 Today 13.30

"Pretoria - At least 55 people were injured when a train derailed at the Bosman Street railway station in Pretoria, paramedics said on
Wednesday.

Netcare 911 said the injuries ranged from minor to serious.

Paramedics and firefighters were still combing through the wreckage in search of victims.

It was not yet clear how the train derailed.

EyeWitness News reported that the train was a Rovos Rail train. "

Word of mouth says it was a 19 coach set - most were derailed when the set ran away. There was apparently no coupled loco on the set at the time as the engines were being changed.

However rather wait for the proper news - the first reports I heard were very dramatic (702) but they have now been toned down quite a bit........

Let us hope that this does not turn into a major issue for the private and heritage rail operators...............

[Dylan Knott]

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/ ... s-20100421

How can a train be allowed to runaway without its loco? Serious enquiry required here.

Condolences to the family of the casualties.

[John Ashworth]

BREAKING EWN: Luxury train overturns, deaths reported

Eyewitness News
Gia Nicolaides | 15 Minutes Ago

There has been a massive train accident in Pretoria involving a luxury passenger train.

At least 15 people have been seriously injured and there are reports of deaths.

It is believed the Rovos rail train derailed shortly after leaving Bosman Station in the capital.

Paramedics are trying to free trapped passengers.

Netcare 911’s Chris Botha said at least 55 people were on board at the time of the accident.

“At the moment I’m standing at the wreckage. There’s absolute carnage on the scene. The Pride of Africa train has derailed. Some of the coaches are lying on top of each other, “ said one bystander.

“Paramedics, firemen from all services, Metrorail, everybody is busy at the moment combing through the wreckage,” he added.

At least nine carriages may have been involved.

Tshwane Emergency Service’s Johan Pieterse said, “There’s still a few patients still trapped inside the coaches so the fire brigade personnel are attending to all those trapped and it’s a search and rescue at the moment.”

[Steve Appleton]

Rohan Vos reports on 702 that one kitchen staff member was killed, but luckily only a few pax were on the train and there were no serious injuries to pax. He says that all but 3 coaches are total write-offs. The train derailed towards the bottom of the hill on the curve approaching Pretoria Station. He says that the train was waiting for the steam loco to couple and that most pax were off the train watching for that. He adds that the staff managed to apply 3 hand brakes as the train moved off without any loco, but that was not sufficient to stop it.
Big question for me is why the vacuum brakes did not hold the train over the duration as they should. Or indeed were the train brakes applied at all. The application of the train brakes should have been automatic when the electric loco uncoupled. Unless there was too little vacuum or no in the train brake system at the time.

[Dylan Knott]

The question is whose responsibility is it to ensure the brakes were applied? Were they hauled by a TFR loco or their own?
I have to add that the concept of running wooden stock inbetween steel stock is also short sighted.

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

7002 News 14h00 today......

"There has been a massive train accident in Pretoria involving a luxury passenger train.

At least 15 people have been seriously injured and there are reports of deaths.

It is believed the Rovos rail train derailed shortly after leaving Bosman Station in the capital.

Paramedics are trying to free trapped passengers.

Netcare 911’s Chris Botha said at least 55 people were on board at the time of the accident.

“At the moment I’m standing at the wreckage. There’s absolute carnage on the scene. The Pride of Africa train has derailed. Some of the coaches are lying on top of each other, “ said one bystander.

“Paramedics, firemen from all services, Metrorail, everybody is busy at the moment combing through the wreckage,” he added.

At least nine carriages may have been involved.

Tshwane Emergency Service’s Johan Pieterse said, “There’s still a few patients still trapped inside the coaches so the fire brigade personnel are attending to all those trapped and it’s a search and rescue at the moment.”

[Gabor Kovacs]

First found picture on the web, CLICK HERE to read another web article and see photo

[Jerome West]

Two people were killed and many more were injured in a train crash in Pretoria on Wednesday.

The owner of Rovos Rail said the train’s 19 carriages were unhooked from the locomotive when they freewheeled out of control.

Rowan Vos said around half of the 55 passengers were on board along with some of the 30 staff members.

“Maybe one, two or three carriages can be rebuilt but the others I’m afraid are busted and luckily, from a passenger point of view, only a few minor scratches and so forth are reported.”

SEARCH FOR MORE PASSENGERS

Three people have been confirmed dead, including an unborn child.

Rescue workers and emergency services officials are scouring the train carriages scattered across the railway tracks, saying the death toll might rise.

Twenty five passengers were hospitalised while 23 people received treatment for lesser injuries.

CARRIAGES STREWN ACROSS TRACKS

At least nine carriages derailed and crashed into one another.

One railway coach lay on its side next to the railway tracks while another was completely squashed with two coaches lying on top of it.

Railway officials are on the scene trying to determine what went wrong.

See Eye Witness News for photos http://url4.eu/2oxWx

[John Ashworth]

In case anyone is wondering I'm merging any new threads that people are starting on this topic into this original thread to try and keep one conversation going instead of multiple conversations.

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Interesting that all the new reports are so different in terms of casualties etc! Does not say much for the credibility of some of the news/sources.....