Gautrain probes Sandton Station escalator failures

Recurring escalator breakdowns at Sandton Station force commuters to navigate overcrowded platforms and alternative routes during peak periods.

Centurion-to-Sandton commuter Johan Wildenboer said several escalators failed frequently in recent months, sometimes at least every second day.

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He warned that the breakdowns leave hundreds of commuters relying on a single functioning escalator, stairs or lifts, creating congestion as passengers try to move through the station.

Wildenboer said the situation was particularly concerning at the top of escalators, where commuters may struggle to move away quickly enough before those behind them arrive.

“This creates a real risk of pushing, falls, injuries or a dangerous crowd surge, especially for children and the elderly,” he said. “There also appear to be too few officials managing passenger flow when overcrowding occurs.

“This is no longer simply an inconvenience,” he said. “It is a safety issue that requires urgent attention from Gautrain management and the relevant authorities. Action should be taken before someone is seriously injured.”

Gautrain Management Agency senior executive manager for communication and marketing Albi Modise acknowledged concerns about recurring escalator outages and their potential impact on passenger movement, particularly during peak periods.

“We recognise that reliable station infrastructure is essential to providing passengers with a safe, efficient and comfortable travel experience,” Modise said.

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He added that crowd management is an important element of safety, with arrangements assessed regularly in response to operational conditions and identified risks, particularly where equipment outages affect passenger movement.

Modise acknowledged that escalators played an important role in moving passengers through the station and that outages could place additional pressure on alternative access routes, contributing to congestion and frustration.

“Routine maintenance is continuously being undertaken to support the reliability of station infrastructure and identify equipment faults that may require attention,” he said.

Modise said the agency was engaging with engineering and maintenance teams to establish the causes of the recurring failures, review the maintenance history of affected equipment and determine whether further corrective measures were required.

He said the agency was gathering additional information about the frequency and causes of escalator faults, repair timelines, maintenance interventions, passenger-flow management arrangements and any reported safety incidents linked to congestion.

“Our focus remains on improving infrastructure reliability, addressing recurring faults and ensuring that passenger safety is central to the Gautrain experience,” Modise said.

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