Dozens of train passengers suffered injuries in an overnight head-on collision between the Trans Karoo express and the luxury Blue Train at Deelfontein.
The driver of the Trans Karoo was seriously hurt in the accident about 20km south-west of De Aar in the Karoo, said police spokesperson Captain Zandisile Makhuphula.
He said 74 people aboard the hotel-on-wheels and 182 travelling on the Trans Karoo express were injured in various degrees. Most appear to have escaped serious injuries.
A South African Press Association reporter at De Aar said 24 people were hospitalised in the town.
Three were to be evacuated by air ambulance to Bloemfontein, one to Cape Town and two to Kimberley.
At least two Japanese tourists number among the injured.
No one was killed in the accident.
Spoornet spokesperson Molatwane Likhethe said the Blue Train was stationary at the time of the collision, while the other train was travelling slowly.
The accident apparently happened at about 11.30pm when the Blue Train, which was ahead of schedule, was whiling away time. The Trans Karoo was apparently diverted on to the same track and the two collided head-on.
The Blue Train is South Africa’s premier luxury train and the Trans Karoo is the flagship Cape-to-Gauteng train.
In 1998 and 1999, the Blue Train was voted the world’s leading luxury train at the World Trade Awards. It consists of 18 carriages and can accommodate up to 84 passengers.
The last reported incident involving the train was in March 2003 when a fire gutted the interiors of three coaches, including the kitchen, lounge and dining car.
It is believed the fire started in the Club Car, ironically the only carriage on the train designated as a smoking area.
The last known accident involving the Trans Karoo was about 10 years ago when it collided with a goods train, said United Transport and Allied Trade Union general secretary Chris de Vos.
”We will request the rail safety regulator and the chief executive of Spoornet, Siyabonga Gama, to include our union as part of the investigation because both train drivers are our members and we want to ensure that this is not a finger-pointing exercise and that we look at the real cause of the accident to prevent such an incident again,” De Vos said.
He added that 80% of rail accidents take place when ”abnormal working conditions” prevail.
He was informed that the accident resulted from a failure in the signals system and the absence of a back-up system to prevent human failure.
”Whenever abnormal working conditions prevail, managers should immediately get involved to ensure there is a back up for human failure. Our information is [that] this did not take place.”
A Spoornet team, including Likhethe, left Johannesburg just after 3am by helicopter to visit the scene. — Sapa