By Kaya 959 Reporter
Gautrain services were restored on the East line after about 47 passengers were stuck under the Sandton tunnel for over two hours, due to a power outage.
Gautrain said due to a power failure, the service between Park, Midrand, and the OR Tambo International Airport was disrupted.
Passengers were ferried between Marlboro and Sandton and Marlboro and the airport.
A bus was also used to transport passengers to and from other stations.
Update: Trains are operating on a single track btwn Midrand & Sandton. A bus service is transporting passengers btwn Sandton & Park & btwn Sandton & OR Tambo. Train service btwn Midrand & Hatfield is unaffected. Please expect a delay of approx. 50 min on both lines.
— Gautrain (@TheGautrain) November 9, 2021
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Passenger, Thevendren Pillay, told eNCA that they were stuck on the train for over two hours.
He said commuters were then collected and put on another train.
“It was quite an ordeal,” he said.
Pillay said he was travelling from Marlboro to Sandton when the train suddenly stopped. He added that all the passengers thought it was because of loadshedding.
Passengers were later told it was due to a technical issue.
Damaged overhead powerline
According to Gautrain spokesperson, Kesagee Nayager, the power failure was due to a damaged overhead powerline.
She said three other trains were also halted.
“The passengers aboard these trains were evacuated shortly thereafter as these trains were in close proximity to the stations,” Nayager told IOL.
She said strict protocol was adhered to, including the right time to evacuate staff.
Nayager said a train shuttle service was used via a single track between the Sandton and Midrand stations.
By late Tuesday, trains were fully operational. Nayager said the power failure was not due to ongoing loadshedding.
“It has been caused by damage to an overhead power cable which our technicians are working to repair,” she said.
Update: We have restored power to the track on the North-South line & the normal train service is now operational. As a result, trains will operate according to schedule. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding in this regard.
— Gautrain (@TheGautrain) November 10, 2021