WATERVAL BOVEN -The United National Transport Union (UNTU) reported on social media that a runaway train collided with two other light locomotives at Goedgeluk station.
The centralised traffic control (CTC) point noticed that the driver of train 8205 passed a stop signal without their authority.
They immediately contacted the train and received a response from the driver “that the train is running away.”
CTC alleges that the runaway train ran for nine kilometres from Machadodorp to the Goedgeluk station without being able to stop.
At Goedgeluk there were apparently two trains at cross points on the rails. Upon realising that the runaway train was not going to stop, CTC made a railroad switch to enable the train to be guided from one track to another, but the train ran through it.
Consequently CTC alerted the drivers of the two trains at the cross points to climb out of their trains to avoid an imminent collision.
The driver and his assistant of train 8205 crashed into the other locomotives still on the rail and the driver’s assistant reportedly sustained minor injuries.
Emergency services were notified and an ambulance arrived at the scene at 08:29.
The acting spokesman for Transnet, Kathy Jaftha, stated that they are still looking at all the locomotives for clues of what could have contributed to the crash.
“We will release an official media statement as soon as we have finalised our investigations into the matter.”
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