On the 28th of April 2015 at around 7h10, Business Express Train number 1602 collided with the rear end of MetroPlus Express Train number 0600. The collision occurred at Denver Station, which is situated in the South Eastern part of Johannesburg, Gauteng.
Subsequent to this Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) rail collision of 28th April 2015, I directed the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR), in terms of Section 38(4) of the National Railway Safety Regulator Act number 16 of 2002, as amended (NRSR Act) to investigate the occurrence with the objective of preventing similar occurrences in the future. In response to my directive, the RSR instituted an independent Board of Inquiry (BOI), chaired by a legal practitioner and assisted by various railway industry experts.
The purpose of today’s media conference is to report back to the citizens of South Africa, and more specifically our valued commuters, about the findings of the BOI.
In order to provide context to the collision, it is important to reflect on the overall state of railway safety in the South African Railway environment.
In terms of the five high frequency types of operational occurrences, namely:
- Collisions between trains on a running line;
- Collisions between trains and obstacles on a running line;
- Derailments on a running line;
- Level crossing incidents; where people are struck by trains; and
- Platform-train interface occurrences.
- There has been a 6% increase in the current financial year ending Quarter 3, in comparison to the same time the previous year.
The increase is mainly due to an increase in the number of collisions with obstacles, mainline derailments, and platform-train occurrences.
In total, 299 fatalities have been recorded for the current year to date in terms of the high focus areas, which is a 2% decline in comparison to the 304 people who lost their lives over the same period during 2014. The main reason contributing to deaths on our railway lines; remains people who are struck by passing trains when they are walking along or crossing the tracks. In this category we have noted a decline of 10% from the 2014/15 period.
There has been a slight decline in the number of level crossing accidents involving vehicles, from 63 in the previous period to 51 during the current financial year.
It is encouraging to note that the number of collisions between trains declined by 44% from the previous period. During the current year, five mainline collisions occurred between trains up to the period of 31 December 2015, in comparison to nine collisions for the previous period ending 31 December 2014.
However, although the number of train-on-train collisions declined, collisions such as the Denver Collision where two passenger trains collided, have very serious consequences in terms of deaths and injuries to those who are travelling on the trains. During the year to date, three people lost their lives and 624 people were injured, in only five occurrences.
Background on the Denver Station collision
As a result of the collision between the two passenger trains at the Denver Station, there were 240 injuries reported from both trains. We wish them well and we will continue addressing their queries.
The driver of Business Express Train 1602 was seriously injured and is reported to be still recuperating from her injuries. We wish her a speedy recovery and strength for her and her family.
The Metro security guard in MetroPlus Express Train number 0600 sustained fatal injuries. May his soul rest in peace and his families consoled and comforted.
Sequence of events leading to the collision
Both trains departed Pretoria Station on schedule at 6h00 and 6h15 respectively and were en-route to Park Station in Johannesburg.
At approximately 07h06, MetroPlus Express Train 0600 came to a standstill in front of signal number: DN11, at the Denver Station.
The driver of MetroPlus Express Train 0600 confirmed that he stopped at signal: DN11 as a result of his inability to clearly see the aspect of signal: DN11.
After stopping, the driver proceeded to contact the local George Goch Centralised Traffic Control Office (CTC) to request a directive or authorisation to proceed. MetroPlus Express Train number 0600 was protected by signal: DN2, which at the time of the accident was displaying a danger/red aspect.
Signal: DN1, which precedes signal: DN2, was displaying a yellow aspect, which served as a caution to the driver of the Business Express Train 1602 to take certain actions from a train handling point of view, in order to stop at the following signal, should that signal display a danger aspect.
Whilst in the process of contacting George Goch CTC, Business Express Train 1602, which had been proceeding in the same direction as MetroPlus Express Train 0600, passed a signal displaying a danger aspect and collided with the rear-end of MetroPlus Express Train 0600.
Findings of the Board of Inquiry
The findings of the investigation are systemic and include the following;
- Lack of maintenance
- Ineffective communication
- Ineffective Human Factors Management; and
- Ineffective allocation of capital funding.
BOI Recommendations
- A competent person/contractor must be appointed to assist with the immediate maintenance and repairs of the existing trunk radio system and related equipment;
- PRASA must, as a matter of urgency, provide a separate power supply backup to the VoIP telephone system and the trunk radio system or couple these systems to the existing backup supply at all CTC’s;
- Risk assessments must be done on all searchlight signals. These signals must be replaced with 3-aspect signals or other resourceful signals;
- PRASA must effectively prioritise the implementation of the Automated Train Protection System to avoid human errors, which cause incidents of this nature; and
- PRASA must review the maintenance expenditure budget in light of the fact that the infrastructure is old and needs high maintenance.
Department of Transport oversight role
I, as the Minister of Transport, am the sole Shareholder of PRASA in terms of the provisions of the Legal Succession Act to the South African Transport Services (“SATS”) Act, of 1989.
The Public Finance Management Act and the Treasury Regulations, provides the Department of Transport with an adequate platform to promote the objectives of good financial management in order to maximise service delivery through efficient and effective use of limited financial resources.
In this instance, I annually enter into a Shareholder’s Compact with the Board of PRASA, as the Accounting Authority for PRASA, based on a three year Corporate Plan that is approved by Parliament. The Shareholder’s Compact entered into contains quarterly and annual operational and capital performance targets that should be achieved by PRASA by the end of each quarter and by the end of the financial year.
The Department of Transport strictly oversees the progress against each key performance indicator and in terms of effecting the recommendations made by this BOI, we will be reviewing the key objectives and key performance targets with the view of formulating measures that should be taken to ensure that the implementation of these recommendations are realised within the timeframes directed by the RSR.
PRASA Modernisation Programme
Rail commuter service in SA needs a complete overhaul to ensure a safe and efficient passenger experience. PRASA has initiated a Programme to transform and modernise passenger railways in South Africa. In this instance, PRASA will be investing approximately R172 billion over 10 years which have already commenced in the 2013/14 financial year.
The key capital investment programmes that forms part of the modernisation includes the following:
- Acquisition of 3600 new coaches - First Test and Second Test Train are at Wolmerton Depot and are currently undergoing testing. The 1st Operational Train is expected to arrive for testing at Wolmerton Depot by the end of March 2016 and is targeted for commercial operation in October 2016.
- Design and construction of depots to be fully functional, Modern Maintenance Depots and to service the new trains is currently underway at Wolmerton and Braamfontein in Gauteng, Salt River in Western Cape, Springfield and Durban Yard in KZN.
- Station improvements - 135 stations are planned for modernisation as part of changing commuter experience and commercialisation.
- Network improvement – Includes the upgrading of line speeds for PRASA network to 120km/h (160km/h for express trains on priority lines where possible). Replacement of rail lines, turnouts, sleepers, drainage upgrading, ballast screening, refurbish rails via grinding, re-alignment of track and capacity improvements, upgrade of Overhead Traction Equipment (OHTE) and Traction Substations.
- Signalling system upgrades – is in progress in the Gauteng, Western Cape and KZN Regions.
This modernisation programme is the catalyst for the transformation of Metrorail and supports PRASA’s effort to position passenger rail as a backbone of South Africa’s transport system.
This is the beginning of the rollout of a modern passenger rail transport system designed to achieve a number of key objectives such as the delivery of safe quality services to the commuting public, revitalisation of South Africa’s rail engineering industry through local manufacturing and ensuring local content as part of the Government’s Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP2), employment creation and skills development as well as Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment.
I thank you.
