Commuters escaped unscathed when their train, which was passing through Boksburg en route to Johannesburg, derailed near Angelo Railway Station.
Train 0304 from Springs en route to Johannesburg derailed at about 4.20am on July 2, causing serious delays in the Springs-Johannesburg and Daveyton-Johannesburg routes.
Metrorail spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng said: “Preliminary investigation indicates that the train derailment was caused by theft of critical infrastructure components, namely, the points rods, points machine and clamps.
“The estimated cost of the damage is R1-million for repairs, but the impact is huge for customers who rely on trains to access economic opportunities.”
“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 management condemns in the strongest terms the theft of infrastructure components, and would like to appeal to the communities to work with law enforcement agencies in the fight against criminals causing rail accidents.
“The inconvenience caused by this accident is regrettable and Metrorail management sincerely apologises to both commuters and employers,” said Mofokeng.
No injuries were reported.
Any criminal activities can be reported to Metrorail Protection Services on 011 013 0051/0052.
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