Damaged rail line causes concern
While hundreds of spare concrete sleepers are piled alongside the track, those damaged from the derailment have not been replaced.
A MTUBATUBA resident goes to sleep at night fearing for his safety every time a freight train hurtles over the damaged section of track still not repaired after a Transnet carriage derailed two weeks ago.
Concrete sleepers beneath the rail are damaged for more than 1km along the line, with pieces of steel protruding from some.
Loose stones have been placed on top of the damaged areas which, according to the resident, fly in all directions when trains come past.
Heavy steel pieces designed to connect the rail to the sleepers, which possibly came loose during the derailment, have flown off the track narrowly missing people, cars and buildings.
‘I don’t understand why Transnet can’t close this section of rail and divert trains to the secondary line while they fix the primary one,’ said the Mtubatuba resident.
While hundreds of spare concrete sleepers are piled alongside the track, those damaged from the derailment have not been replaced.
A train reportedly derailed at the same section of track about 10 years ago, destroying a wall alongside the track and stopping just short of a building.
This wall was never replaced.
Meanwhile, the nearby pedestrian bridge is virtually rusted through, causing pedestrians to walk across the train tracks.
