Presented against the backdrop of a world-altering pandemic, Transport Deputy Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga on October 20 said this year’s ‘State of Safety (SOS)’ report published by the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) indicated that the Covid-19 pandemic “led to major operators across the country producing significantly fewer train kilometres” when compared with previous years.

This has resulted in a net decrease in combined traffic levels, as well as a “considerable rise in theft and vandalism” during the lockdown periods.

In turn, this led to a decrease in return on investment for major operators who had to spend “millions of rands” to repair vandalised train infrastructure, a situation which was further exacerbated by commuters opting for alternative modes of transport.

All these factors contributed to and impacted on the landscape of the rail industry, forcing it to “shift its thinking” and become “the impetus for incremental innovative solutions”.

As an example, Chikunga pointed out that the RSR had to adapt and adjust the way it conducted audits and inspections by employing technological solutions, such as drones, to accommodate the new normal.

“We must admit that the sector is finding itself in unchartered territory,” she commented.

The RSR’s SOS report, meanwhile, provided a competitive analysis between 2019 and 2020 and showed that operational occurrences decreased by 40% during 2020, while public commuters reduced by 26%.

Security-related incidents, however, decreased by 19%, with total train derailments decreasing by 50%. Level crossing occurrences also decreased by 30%.

While some positive statistics are noted in the report, Chikunga cautioned that they was “not yet a cause for celebration” as even though collision and derailments depict a year-on-year decrease, challenges remain.

Additionally, persons illegally crossing railway lines during 2020’s various lockdown periods, when passenger activity was restricted, decreased by 84.7%, with only 426 incidents reported.

“These numbers attest to the fact that we must stay focused and ensure that, through our collective efforts, we concretely drive down the number of occurrences and prioritise the safety of both the communities and the workforce in our operations,” Chikunga said.

She added that it was for this reason that the RSR had intensified monitoring and the enforcement of safety and security plans of the various operators.

This, however, is not enough.

“More collaboration is essential if you want to truly turn the situation around. It will require the collective effort of all stakeholders, commuters and communities to address the devastation of [South Africa’s] rail infrastructure,” she concluded.