Metrorail (South Africa)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Metrorail train pulling out of Kalk Bay station in Cape Town
A Metrorail train pulling out of Kalk Bay station in Cape Town

Metrorail is the commuter rail service in the major urban areas of South Africa. Metrorail is the operational arm of the South African Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC), a State-owned enterprise which holds custodianship of all commuter and passenger rail assets such as land in and around stations, infrastructure and rolling stock in the major urban areas of South Africa. The Metrorail system consists of 471 stations, 2,228 kilometres (1,384 mi) of track, and carries an average of 1.7 million passengers per weekday.[1]

Metrorail was formed as a business unit of Transnet and was transferred to the SARCC. In the early 1990s Metrorail was placed under Spoornet, another business unit of Transnet but on 1 January 1997, Metrorail became an independent business within Transnet and the Metrorail regions were formed. In 2006 Metrorail was transferred back into the SARCC.

Contents

[edit] Regions

Because Metrorail operates services in several separate cities, for operational purposes it is subdivided into five regions.

Witwatersrand region

This region covers the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area (also known as the Witwatersrand). Trains run from Johannesburg and Germiston outwards to Springs, Pretoria (in the Tshwane region, see below), Soweto and Krugersdorp.[2]

Tshwane region

This region covers Pretoria and surrounding suburbs. Trains run from Pretoria station outwards to the various suburbs of the city, as well as southwards to Johannesburg (in the Witwatersrand region).[3]

Durban region

This region covers Durban and the surrounding suburbs and towns. Trains run from Durban station outwards as far as Stanger on the north coast, Kelso on the south coast, and Cato Ridge inland. [4]

Eastern Cape region

This region operates two separate lines in the Eastern Cape: one running from East London to Berlin, and one from Port Elizabeth to Uitenhage. [5]

Western Cape region
Main article: Metrorail (Western Cape)

This region covers the Cape Town metropolitan area and surrounding towns. Trains run from Cape Town Railway Station southwards to Simon's Town, southeastwards to Mitchell's Plain and Khayelitsha, and eastwards through Bellville to Strand, Stellenbosch and Wellington; occasional services run to Malmesbury and Worcester.[6]

[edit] Track & Equipment

Metrorail trains, as with the rest of the South African rail network, run on Cape gauge (1067mm/3ft 6in) track. Some routes run on track owned and operated by SARCC; other routes run on track operated by Spoornet and also used for long-distance and freight traffic.

Metrorail trains are Electric Multiple Units; 280 units operate on the system,[7] each able to carry up to 1800 passengers.[8]

[edit] Safety concerns

In recent years, much concern has been raised about the safety of passengers on Metrorail trains, both due to crime and accidents. [9][10] Serious incidents include murders and assaults on board trains; several level crossing accidents [11][12] and a crash in Soweto[13]. An organisation called the Rail Commuters Action Group instituted a lawsuit against Metrorail and the government to force them to invest more money in security[14]; this case reached the Constitutional Court, which declared that Metrorail has "an obligation to ensure that reasonable measures are taken to provide for the security of rail commuters" [15]. Despite this, safety on the trains remains a concern.[16]

Metrorail services have also suffered from instances of train-burning by disgruntled passengers [17], in some cases forcing the closure of lines[18]; as well as incidents of cable theft disrupting services [19].

In 2006 a serious level crossing accident killed 19 people. See 2006 Cape Town truck-train collision.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Metrorail National Facts
  2. ^ Metrorail Regional Routes—Witwatersrand
  3. ^ Metrorail Regional Routes—Tshwane
  4. ^ Metrorail Regional Routes—Durban
  5. ^ Metrorail Regional Routes—Eastern Cape
  6. ^ Metrorail Regional Routes—Western Cape and Route Map
  7. ^ Metrorail National Facts
  8. ^ Metrorail Homepage
  9. ^ IOL: Class action suit launched against Metrorail
  10. ^ IOL: 'Train safety, efficiency vital for 2010'
  11. ^ IOL: Train derailed after collision with trailer
  12. ^ IOL: News for South Africa and the World
  13. ^ IOL: Scores injured as trains crash in Soweto
  14. ^ IOL: Commuters take rail terror battle to court
  15. ^ [1][dead link]
  16. ^ IOL: The perilous Khayelitsha train line
  17. ^ IOL: Stranded passengers torch trains in Soweto
  18. ^ :: Metrorail - Getting South Africa To Work ::
  19. ^ IOL: Scorpions bust alleged cable theft syndicate