Metrorail Gauteng said on Tuesday that its preliminary investigation shows that the train derailment in Ekurhuleni was caused by theft of critical infrastructure components worth R1-million – namely the points rods, points machine and clamps.
Train 0304 traveling from Springs en route to Johannesburg derailed outside Angelo train station near Boksburg in Ekurhuleni at approximately 04:20 on Tuesday morning. There were no injuries reported.
Metrorail condemned in the strongest terms the theft of infrastructure components.
"A pilot working method has been introduced where only one train is allowed to run between Germiston central and East Rand at a time," Metrorail spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng said.
"The repair work to replace the 216 damaged sleepers is underway and will be concluded tomorrow afternoon. The estimated cost of the damage is R1-million for repairs, however the impact is huge for customers that rely on trains to access economic opportunities."
Mofokeng said Metrorail management would like to appeal to the communities to work with law enforcement agencies in a fight against criminals causing rail accidents.
"The inconvenience caused by this accident is regrettable and Metrorail management sincerely apologises to both commuters and employers" she said.
"Any suspicious criminal activities can be reported to Metrorail Protection Services on 011 013 0051/0052."