Train derails near Elandsfontein Railway Station

Train commuters got a huge fright on Friday morning when the Metrorail train they were travelling on derailed.

The incident occurred at about 6.45am when train 0610 en-route to Johannesburg from Pretoria derailed between the Elandsfontein Railway Station and the Isando Railway Station.

Two plain trailers and one motor coach from the total of 12 train coaches derailed blocking one line.

The emergency services and Metrorail technical teams rushed to the scene.

William Ntladi, media liaison officer for Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Services told the GCN that they received the call at about 7.05am and rushed to the scene.

“Seventeen patients were accounted for, of which 15 were train passengers and two were train crew members (the driver and the assistant).

“Two passengers suffered serious injuries and were transported to Tembisa and Tambo Memorial hospitals, respectively.

“The remaining injured passengers were also transported to Tembisa Hospital with minimal injuries.

“The train crew members were transported to Arwyp Hospital in Kempton Park for further medical treatment,” Ntladi said.

In a statement issued by Gauteng Metrorail commuters affected by the derailment will be moved as follows:

•  Trains are running on one line between Elandsfontein and Kempton Park.

•  A shuttle train service is also running from Leralla to Kaalfontein.

•  Twenty five buses have been introduced to complement the service running between Kaalfontein and Elandsfontein.

The cause of the accident and the cost of the damage are still unknown at this stage.

The Metrorail technical team is currently repairing the damaged overhead wires.

The affected lines will remain closed as a precautionary measure until the scene is cleared and declared safe for train movement.

Metrorail regrets the incident and appeals to all its customers to exercise patience while its technical team is working on getting the service back to normal.