Metrorail has lost even more of its train capacity after a carriage caught fire near the Century City train station on Monday.
The blaze destroyed three passenger carriages but no injuries were reported.
City Councillor, Angus McKenzie, says he was passing the train station shortly after noon when he saw the flames.
“The train was just leaving the station when the fire started and the train quickly stopped,” he says.
City Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Theo Layne, says firefighters responded at 12.15pm and the blaze was extinguished by 2.55pm.
“As a result of the train fire, the surrounding vegetation also caught alight but was quickly contained. There was a total of three carriages affected and by the time firefighters arrived, the train was empty and there were no commuters inside. There were also no injuries or fatalities. At this stage the cause has not yet been determined,” Layne says.
Metrorail spokesperson, Riana Scott, says the fire affected optic fibre cables leading to the nearby train traffic control centre as well.
The cause of the fire was not known.
“The fire brigade arrived on the scene within minutes and started dousing the flames immediately after Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) switched off the overhead power,” says Scott.
“The railway line is currently closed until the flames have been doused and infrastructure assessed for any fire damage.
“It is as yet too early to speculate on the cause of the fire. The extent, cause and cost of the damage will only be confirmed after TFR and Prasa’s loss adjusters have assessed the infrastructure and rolling stock.”
According to an update posted by Metrorail late on Monday, the incident resulted in a one-hour delay along the Monte Vista line.