Train Crash and Derailment - Pietermaritzburg Station

[Brendon Anderson]

Yesterday morning a goods' train hauled by 3 x 6E1 units ran away from Boughton station above Maritzburg. (This is just below the 6km long Cedara tunnel.)

The trucks started derailing just before Maritzburg station leaving the 3 unit to break loose and run through the station eventually falling on their side just past the station platforms.

It would appear that the devastation appears worse than it actually is – one line already open within 24 hours of the accident and trains are running again – including passenger trains which have access to one platform at ‘Maritzburg station.

All photo's courtesy of Grant Fryer.

[Marc Russell]

The locos look peaceful lying down. As if they were asleep. Excellent documentation

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

The first photo looks like something from my HO gauge set.

[Derek Walker]

Drat, that was a perfect opportunity to photograph the underside of a 6E! and I have to agree with the peaceful comment....

[Morne Bothma]

Hi Brendan, thanks for this great update and pics! I wonder if those 6E's are repairable? Luckely no other trains were on the way up, could have been worse.

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

I wonder if they bother to repair them, or use them as spare parts.

[Andreas Umnus]

I heard about that accident in the radio. I bought "The Herald" of the next day and I found no report about the accident. Are these things not worth to report about it in the newspaper?
Thank you for posting the photos of the accident. Nevertheless it looks horrible enough.

[Brendon Anderson]

This appeared in the local press in the week after the accident. We have heard via the grapvine from drivers at Umbilo depot that this was this particular driver's second major accident and derailment.

"Speed may have caused Tuesday's derailment of a goods train in Pietermaritzburg which left the driver and conductor injured, the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) said.

"Our preliminary investigation suggests that speed may have been the immediate cause of the accident," spokeswoman Lavinia Mahlangu said.

This resulted in a situation where the driver might have lost control of the locomotive, she said.

The driver, Sweetie Maphalala, 30, broke her arm and sustained bruises to her body, while the conductor, Thokozani Dlamini, sustained injuries to his back and body.

Both were taken to Medi-City hospital for treatment.

The train loaded with grain from the Free State, derailed at the Pietermaritzburg train station causing "extensive damage" to the infrastructure.

"Eighteen wagons of the train, and its locomotives were derailed.

"Railway traffic on the Natal main line is affected, and it is not clear at this stage when it will be re-opened," Mahlangu said. She said investigations would continue into all other factors which contributed to the accident.

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

I am no railway detective, but it seems obvious that speed caused the Loco's to fall off the rail like that otherwise there must have been subsidence in the left hand track. After a second accident surely the driver should get written warnings and put on a performance improvement plan if not taken off driving completely. If I recall the accident in the Free State where the driver smashed her 6E1's into the train was also a woman, as was the case in Cape town when a Metro went smashing through the barrier. The Lead Unit almost landed in Adderley Street.

[Luca Lategan]

Andre, you would be amazed with what these drivers get away with! I don't even want to start telling the horror stories that I've heard, no wonder Transnet is in such finiancial state.

Since when does trains have conductors again?

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

Have a look at Eugene Armer photo, near Irene where a train was shut down and the crew suspended for going through a red signal. http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 556&nseq=3

[John Ashworth]

This thread has been temporarily locked by Forum Administrators. A couple of recent posts (which have been removed or moderated) made allegations against individuals and promulgated rumours, which is probably not in the best interest of the forum.