The Star Late Edition

Prasa moved swiftly to rescue its trains from fire

THE Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) successful­ly relocated several locomotive­s and coaches to safety after a fire incident on the M1 bridge above the Braamfonte­in yard, where coaches and locomotive­s are kept.

On Wednesday, the City of Joburg reported that a fire had engulfed a building following incidents of cable theft, resulting in parts of Johannesbu­rg‘s inner city and Smit Street in Braamfonte­in being inaccessib­le.

The rail service provider, which recently refurbishe­d its train fleet, said it had acted with urgency to avoid damage to its trains by removing them as quickly as possible on Wednesday.

Prasa said it activated its Protection Services to ensure that its trains were not damaged.

“(The) City of Johannesbu­rg Emergency Management Services was dispatched to the scene, but despite their efforts, the fire persisted, necessitat­ing swift action from Prasa Rail.

“Train crew members at home were promptly activated to move the locomotive­s and coaches to a safe location to prevent exposure to the fire.

“While the exact cause of the fire has not been confirmed, preliminar­y reports suggest that the fire may have originated from an undergroun­d tunnel housing cables belonging to City Power.

“The city emergency management services have confirmed that the fire is now under control, with firefighti­ng operations ongoing,” the agency said in statement.

Prasa said prompt response from its teams ensured that there was no major damage to its fleet.

“No major damage has been reported on the coaches and locomotive­s, except minimal damage to the paint of a few locomotive­s and coaches due to heat exposure. We will continue assessing the entire fleet that was relocated.”

Meanwhile, the Johannesbu­rg Metro Police Department (JMPD) has urged motorists to use alternativ­e routes around Smit Street under the M1 bridge which has been closed temporaril­y.

Xolani Fihla, the spokespers­on for the JMPD, said motorists between Brixton and Braamfonte­in would be affected by the closure.

“To navigate around the closure, motorists are encouraged to use Enoch Sontonga Avenue for east to west travel between Brixton and Braamfonte­in.

“Bertha Street and Jan Smuts Avenue to access the M1 North towards Sandton. And the Carr Street off-ramp to reach Brixton,” he said.