Due to the heavy rainfalls in the Toti area over the weekend, the railway line between Umbogintwini and Isipingo stations was severely damaged.
“Engineers are currently busy repairing the damaged line,” said Metrorail KZN in a press release to the Sun.
“In the interim, a shuttle service is running between Durban and Isipingo, and Umbogintwini to Kelso. A bus service will transport commuters between Umbogintwini and Isipingo. Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) engineers are working on restoring the service, but due to the nature of the damage, it is unknown as to how long repairs will take.”
The washaway of the bank lies about 200m south of Twini soccer field. Both lines have been affected where a massive section of the bank was washed away.
The power lines and the concrete column that span the line were also downed. Both railway lines have been left suspended in the air. An underground stormwater pipeline and cables have been affected
Metrorail said the only other service affected by the washaway is Jacobs to Island View. Commuters will be transported as far as Jacobs station and will transfer to a bus service between Jacobs and Island View in both directions. All other rail services are unaffected.
However, the inclement weather is having an effect on PRASA trains and infrastructure. The result is that daily delays and cancellations are unavoidable.
Commuters are to note that the current trains are old and in many cases, have reached the end of their life cycle. The trains that are in use are unfortunately susceptible to failure. While every effort is made to run the passenger rail service as advertised, issues such as train failures, vandalism, theft and sabotage prohibit maintaining schedules.
Commuters are also asked to refrain from venting their anger on PRASA staff, in particular, train crews and station staff. Likewise destruction to PRASA property only results in less resources being available.
It is recommended that commuters consider alternative transport if punctuality is critical to their travel. PRASA apologises for the inconvenience and also appeals for patience and understanding during this period.
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