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 engulfed 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.
Spokesperson for the JMPD, Xolani Fihla, 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.
On Sunday, City Power said it was clearing rubble in the 1.2km tunnel where the fire erupted and an inspection had found that “300 metres of copper cable had been cut and stolen”.