Cable theft at Cape Town station left countless commuters stranded on Friday morning after trains coming into the city were delayed for hours as the damage was repaired.
Frustrated passengers, stuck on stalled trains just outside the terminal, resorted to walking the final stretch into the city centre. They formed a snaking line along the tracks as they rushed to work, some already two hours late.
Metrorail spokeswoman Riana Scott said that four metres of cable situated on the approach to the terminal were lifted by thieves during the early hours of Friday morning.
The cables are part of a system that regulates all automated signalling to Cape Town Station’s 24 platforms.
As a result, during the repairs, each train had to be manually authorised to enter or leave the station.
“One hundred and fifty trains use Cape Town station during the morning peak, between 5.30am and 9am,” said Scott.
Regional manager Richard Walker apologised to commuters.
“Although a significant portion of the region’s copper communication cables have already been replaced by fibre optics, this particular section is still linked to Transnet Telecommunications copper cables, making it vulnerable to copper thieves,” Walker said.
He added that their protection services and the Rapid Rail Unit were on high alert to prevent a recurrence and encouraged people to immediately report any suspicious activity in the area.
Metrorail offers rewards of up to R25 000 for any information leading to a successful conviction, he said.
The theft follows an arson attack on Sunday that saw 19 train carriages, parked at the Salt River depot, go up in flames. The damaged trains would reportedly cost the operator upwards of R60 million to replace.
Source: IOL
