Railways Africa Issue 6 2011

Specialists in refurbishment, repair and upgrade of wagons and major supplier of new wagons to the heavy haul

coal and iron-ore fleets with tare ratios as high as 5:1, as well as wagons for cement, car carriers, intermodal

and fuel tankers.

WAGON BUSINESS

Tel: +27 (0)12 391 1304 Fax: +27 (0)12 391 1371 Email: [email protected]

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South Africa’s fi rst electric multiple-unit

(EMU) suburban trains started running

in the Cape Peninsula in 1927. The

ability to work complete trains in either

direction without the need to manoeuvre

a locomotive around the set at terminals

was a great advantage – notably in Cape

Town’s main station, with its 14 dead-end

platforms. Those innovative EMUs were

in use here more than 80 years ago – 80

years during which nobody thought twice

about re-ordering electric multiple-unit

rolling stock, so ideally suited to commuter

work.

In all of those fi ve decades however -

though main-line diesels have been active

in South Africa for more than fi fty years -

the only move towards acquiring diesel

multiple-units (DMUs) for short-haul

commuter runs in non-electrifi ed territory -

as widely seen overseas - were half-hearted

efforts that came to nothing. When steam

was retired, all these duties were taken

over by full-size main-line diesel

locomotives– at Port Elizabeth and East

London, and also Malmesbury in the

Western Cape. All three are dead-end

terminals, where – in the old-fashioned,

cumbersome, time-consuming way - the

locos have to run round their trains.

In North America and many countries in

Europe, push-pull working similar to the

multiple-unit principle is employed, but

the use of conventional locomotives is

retained. The loco leads in one direction

on each journey, pulling the train. But it

doesn’t run round at the terminus. Instead,

it pushes the train on its return trip, with

the driver seated in a control trailer at the

other end of the set.

Ironically, the current commuter sets at Port

Elizabeth, East London and Malmesbury

have what used to be control trailers at the

end of each set. Inexplicably, the operating

equipment has been removed.

France’s Alstom has just reported a typical

current overseas order - to supply six DMU

trains to Ottawa in Canada, for “fl exible

operation with short travelling times

and small stop-distances that help meet

demanding timetables.”

Great savings in time, no points to be

changed, no shunting. Just like the

electrics in Cape Town in 1927 - and in

all those years since. Somebody whisper

in Metrorail’s ear – everyone else in the

garden has DMUs. Why not us?

Loco-hauled Cape Town-Malmesbury commuter

train has former control trailers at each end

of the set, from which the equipment – and

windscreens – have been removed. Photo:

Eugene Armer.

Contemporary diesel-multiple-unit (DMU) set in

Cameroon.

RAILWAYS AFRICA / FOREWORD

Foreword

The copyright on all material in this magazine is expressly reserved and vested in Rail Link Communications cc, unless otherwise stated. No material may be reproduced in any form, in part or in whole, without the permission of the publishers. Please note that the opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers of Rail Link Communications cc unless otherwise stated. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, neither the Editor, Publisher or Contributor can be held liable for any inaccuracies or damages that may arise.

3August 2011 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com

BARBARA SHEATPublisher / Railways Africa

PUBLISHERBarbara Sheat

EDITOR Rollo Dickson

DESIGN & LAYOUTGrazia Muto

ADVERTISINGKim Bevan

SUBSCRIPTIONS Kim Bevan

CONTRIBUTORSAnton van Schalkwyk

Dave van der Meulen

Eugene Armer

Geoff Cooke

John Batwell

Leon Zaayman

Roderick Smith

ISSN 1029 - 2756

Rail Link Communications ccPO Box 4794 Randburg 2125

Tel: +27 87 940 9278

E-mail: [email protected]

Twitter: railwaysafrica

Website: www.railwaysafrica.com

ROLLING STOCK | PERWAY | INFRASTRUCTURE | SIGNALLING | OPERATORS | COMMENT

AU

GU

ST 2011

WWW.RAILWAYSAFRICA.COM

SCAW METALSGROUP

SPECIALIST CASTINGS FOR THE RAILROAD INDUSTRYSPECIALIST CASTINGS FOR THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY

Tel: +27 11 842-9303 • Fax: +27 11 842-9710Website: www.scaw.co.za

The Scaw Metals Group (Scaw) is an international group, manufacturing a diverse range of steel products. Its principaloperations are located in South Africa, South America, Canada and Australia. Smaller operations are in Namibia,Zimbabwe and Zambia. Scaw’s specialist castings for the railroad industry include bogies used in freight cars,locomotives and passenger cars. Other products manufactured include:

Freight car castings:• Side Frames • Bolsters• Yokes • Cast steel monobloc wheels• Draw-gear components• Centre plates

Cast steel frames for locomotives:• Steerable locomotive frames• Mounting for electrical parking brakes and brakehangers• Traction motor end shields and suspension tubes in cast

steel, manufactured to customer requirements

Passenger car castings:• High speed, high stability radial axle bogies for motored

and unmotored passenger vehicles• Self steering bogies• Fully machined frames ready for assembly into bogies,

including the fitting of bushings and wear plates• Integrally cast brake hanger brackets and mounting

for auxiliary equipment

Scaw has produced castings for the railroad industry since 1921and is a technological leader in this field and has participated in thedevelopment of unique designs such as the cast adaptor sub-frameassembly used in the “Scheffel” radial axle truck.

Scaw manufactures castings under licence to various licensors, butis an open foundry with the capability to undertake work accordingto individual customer requirements. The company has producedthousands of sets of steel castings for freight cars for both the localand export markets. These include side frames and bolsters thathave been approved by the Association of American Railroads foruse on North American railroads.

Scaw supplies globally and also offers nationwide distributionin South Africa through its strategically located branchesthroughout the country.

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August 2011 Railways Africa

A Report-back From IHHA 2011 6

Industry Comment

Recent Highlights – and Also One or Two From The Past 10

Pete the Pundit

RAILWAYS AFRICA / CONTENTS

ContentsContents

6

13

29

42

www.railwaysafrica.com

Malcolm Bates 38

Obituary

Enthusiasts’ tours in 2012 42

Railway Heritage

Bright Ideas Department 2012 46

Postscript

Cape Town Trains On Fire 28

Cable Theft Halts Gautrain In Its Tracks 30

Mishaps & Blunders

Kei Rail Coaches Go On Board 16

NRZ “On Life Support” 22

Africa Update

5

A heavy-haul conference in the Rocky MountainsYour author recently returned from the 2011 International Heavy-

Haul Association (IIHA) conference in Calgary, Canada - a vibrant

experience that relegates an eight-hour jet lag in a week-long

round trip to the background. Regular readers may think that all I

do is attend conferences. However, it is only coincidental that

two top railway conferences, WCRR and IHHA, followed in quick

succession this year.

Canadian Pacifi c Railway is headquartered in Calgary, so post-

conference technical tours provided exposure to some of its key

facilities, such as its network operations centre in downtown

Calgary, Alyth hump yard that handles both east-west and north-

south traffi c, and the Calgary Intermodal Terminal that handles

double-stack container trains.

The piece de resistance was a post-conference 220km

technical tour on the Laggan subdivision of Canadian Pacifi c’s

transcontinental route, from Calgary in Alberta via Banff to Field

in British Columbia. It included Kicking Horse Pass across the

Continental Divide in the magnifi cent Rocky Mountains. East of

the divide, water fl ows to the Atlantic Ocean; west of the divide

it fl ows to the Pacifi c Ocean. The descent from the divide to

Field includes two spiral tunnels, completed in 1909 to reduce

the original scary 4.5% gradient (1:22) to a tolerable 2.2% (1:45).

For perspective, today’s Trans-Canada Highway closely follows the

original steep railway alignment.

Motive power was the Empress

4-6-4 steam locomotive.

Canadian Pacifi c does not do

things by halves: Behind the

locomotive and its tender were

an auxiliary water tender, three

diesel cab units, then some

twenty passenger coaches. The

oil-fi red locomotive ran white

feather all the way, with only

a stop for passenger service

at Banff. Compare this to

Kimberley-De Aar, but without

stopping for water and fi re

cleaning at Orange River. There

was neither smell nor soot in

the tunnels. Admittedly the

diesels were not idling as we

approached the divide.

Interestingly, the transcon, as such routes are known in North

American speak, features predominantly single track, with some

doubling. It is actually not quite transcontinental, stretching

4,800km from Montreal to Vancouver. In total CP conveys a

creditable 300+ billion tonne kilometres on its 24,000 route-km

network—more output than on South Africa’s comparably sized

network.

Refl ections on the conferenceThe conference theme was Railroading in extreme conditions.

Canada was an appropriate host, propane tanks for points

heaters being a conspicuous difference noticed by those from

warmer climates. Looking closer to see RADIANT THAW HEAT

ONLY stenciled on aluminium coal wagons confi rms that one is

away from home.

The conference was more representative than the WCRR

reported on last month. All nine IHHA member countries/

regions (Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Russia, South

Africa, Sweden-Norway, and United States of America) were

present, as well as delegates from fi fteen other countries.

Interestingly, the Saudi Arabian presence was substantial. Trial

operations recently commenced on the heavy-haul portion of

its North-South Railway: Expect the IHHA to gain another member

Stoney Creek Bridge on the Canadian

Pacifi c (90 metres high).

Photo: D R Spencer.

Canadian Pacifi c 4-6-4 Empress loco. Photo: D R Spencer

6 Railways Africa August 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com

INDUSTRY COMMENT

COMPELLING INSIGHT FROM ORIGINAL RESEARCH

www.railcorpstrat.com

Dave van der Meulen / Managing Member / Railway Corporate Strategy CC

A Report-back From IHHA 2011

once full commercial operations get under way on Saudi Arabia’s

1,400km phosphate haul, from Al Jalamid near the Jordan-Iraq

border, to the port of Ras Az Zawr on the Persian Gulf. A few

hot topics follow, from IHHA country directors’ presentations at

the opening plenary session:

One of two platinum conference sponsors was Shuo Huang

Railway, China’s second heavy-haul coal line. How many readers

have heard of it? The original Datong-Qinhuangdao, or DaQin as it

is commonly known, heavy-haul coal line recently reached

saturation at 400 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa), so a second

line was needed to continue growing capacity to serve coal

mines in China’s Shanxi Province. The Shuo Huang Railway already

conveys over 100Mtpa, with substantial expansion in prospect.

In Australia’s Pilbara, long-established BHP and Rio Tinto are

presently exporting over 200Mtpa, and planning to grow beyond

300Mtpa. Then new-kid-on-the-block Fortescue Metals Group

(FMG) built a 305km line in 18 months. Three-and-a-half years

after pressing the “go” button, it currently conveys 55Mtpa,

en route to a planned 95 Mtpa, with an ultimate vision of 300+

Mtpa by 2015. It ramped up from 26 to 40 tonnes/axle in

24 months, at which axle load it has operated since January

2010. Structures are built for 49 tonnes/axle, and it is looking

at 42 tonnes/axle as a next step. There are thus now three

independent railways in the Pilbara. Along the way, there was

inconclusive wrangling over shared access, but at 300Mtpa

or more a railway has insignifi cant capacity to share, so access

has become a non-issue.

During the parallel sessions, your author’s own contribution to

the conference was co-authorship, with an academic from

Russia’s Far Eastern State Transport University in Khabarovsk, of

a paper: Differences and similarities: learning from heavy haul in

cold and heat. It compared the eastern portion of the

Trans-Siberian Railway, and the Baikal-Amur Magistral, with

Sishen-Saldanha. The Trans-Siberian, which conveys coal, oil and

ores extracted in Siberia, to domestic- and overseas consumers,

has approached saturation of current assets at 100Mtpa,

and capacity has become a major constraint on further

development of regional industry and increased export volumes.

Unsurprisingly, growing coal exports from other countries have

stepped into the shortage left by Russia in the Pacifi c region. To

avoid foregoing expansion opportunities, it needs to leverage

heavy-haul competence to a higher level.

Other reference sitesBeyond information from the IHHA conference, the following

references from Internet searches fi ll out a heavy-haul capacity

picture …

In the United States, nameplate capacity of the BNSF-Union

Pacifi c Joint Line in the Powder River Basin is 400Mtpa. Australia

is exporting 320Mtpa of coal and growing. Brazil is exporting

310Mtpa of iron ore and growing. Indonesia has moved into

second place after Australia in global coal exports with around

250Mtpa. Its national railway has 1.067mm track gauge like

South Africa, a legacy from Japanese occupation during World

War II. During that fateful course of events, Indonesia’s former

standard gauge railways were narrow-gauged to align with those

of Japan. Indonesia encourages mines to build their own new

heavy-haul railways as an adjunct to their mining investment, a

strategy that promotes economic growth in general. It is noteworthy

that while Indonesia entered the coal export market after South

Africa, it has far overtaken the latter, and is gaining new standard

gauge railway development to boot.

GM

531_AP Presslink

“ You focus on your business, we will focus on your gas supply”


INDUSTRY COMMENT

initiatives were triggered by inability to move product through

South Africa. Source competition among countries, something

that used to be “out there,” seems to be moving closer to home.

Speed has become the name of the game. Appreciate that in

three-and-a -half years FMG established from scratch a capacity

that currently exceeds that of Sishen-Saldanha.

The heavy-haul business model is a balancing act among market

opportunities and factors of production. There are global prices

for coal and iron ore, as there are for mining equipment,

locomotives, wagons, rails, diesel fuel, port handling equipment,

and so on. Countries that have some particular natural advantage

that can enhance their competitiveness should of course exploit

it. Failing such advantage, the business model defaults to global

supply/demand as mentioned above. In this context, electrifi cation

increases risk. This is not another round in the old diesel versus

electric debate - the peak oil question has put that in perspective.

However, notwithstanding peak oil considerations, many new

heavy-haul railways still go for diesel traction. The author has

been exposed to projects where commitment to electrifi cation

infrastructure increases project risk, and capacity scalability risk,

to the extent that they outweigh possibly lower energy costs.

The global commodities market has not waited, and will not

wait, for South Africa. Real investment and real jobs in mining,

heavy-haul, and port operations have gone elsewhere. We could

have participated, but have not. South Africa can long debate its

participation in this market, and come up with an ideologically well-

rounded solution, only to fi nd that it, literally, has missed the boat.

This was the fi nal article in this instructive and thought-provoking

series. We look forward to the possibility of further valuable

contributions from Dave van der Meulen, at some time in the future.

– Editor Railways Africa.

One common thread is clear—the countries mentioned see

potential market opportunities, and then boldly get on with

building mines, railways, and ports to grasp them.

Application to South AfricaThe capacity numbers mentioned above bear thought. They roll

in hundreds of Mtpa. Not too long ago, they rolled in tens of

Mtpa. De facto, heavy-haul entry level is now in excess of

100Mtpa. Even capacity seems to expand in 100Mtpa increments.

What has happened? The game has shifted by a good part of

an order of magnitude in just a few years. Coal and iron ore

uptake by China and India has boosted demand substantially.

The days of measuring capacity in low multiples of 10Mtpa, with

10Mtpa expansion increments, have passed, possibly forever.

Is this a bubble of some sort? Perhaps it is. However, the

economic life of a locomotive in intense heavy-haul operation

is only about 12 years: Having literally moved mountains, it is

then totally worn out. At 300Mtpa, rails will wear out in 3-5

years. There is an upside to this - such short life expectancies

reduce the risk of mismatch between market projections and

capacity provision, because the payback period of most assets is

necessarily very short. Unsurprisingly, the opportunity cost of not

participating in coal and iron ore export is high - the global markets

for those commodities simply pass by a country that does not

come to the party.

Xavier Prevost’s paper at the recent Railways and Harbours

Conference 2011 was salutary for South Africa - serious intentions

have emerged to develop alternative routes to export coal from

Botswana eastwards through Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and

westwards through Namibia. While one should not deny South

Africa’s neighbouring countries their aspiration to also share in

the global coal market, one must also question whether such

Tel: +27 11 794-2910 | Fax: +27 11 794-3560 | Email: [email protected] | Web: www.yalejhb.co.za


INDUSTRY COMMENT

Specialist supplier of repair, refurbishing, upgrade and manufacturing services for suburban electric train sets

and mainline coaches.

COACH BUSINESS


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ALL-PURPOSE SIMULATORIn the global market, railway operators require manufacturers

to provide proposals covering a broad range of aspects, such as

differences in power-feed equipment used by different countries

and lines, variations in types of rolling stock, and services passing

through electrifi ed and non-electrifi ed zones. To meet these needs

and provide swift answers, Hitachi Limited has developed an

innovative “integrated railway systems simulator” which evaluates

complete rail systems from an all-over viewpoint, including

coordination between multiple types of equipment, such as

rolling stock, signalling, and traffi c control. It has the capability to

evaluate the effects of changes in conditions, further facilitating

the installation of new facilities and equipment in line with

technological advances. Hitachi will be enabled to realise optimal

equipment location and appropriate energy allocation, providing

solutions that match global railway infrastructure improvement

plans through comprehensive simulation.

HISTORIC EMU TOOLKIT LIST

Electric Traction Instructions (Cape) 1928. 4. Driver’s Personal Kit.

Each driver must be in possession of a kit-bag or box containing

the following articles:

• 1 carriage door-lock key

• Working time book

• 1 oil hand-lamp tri-colour)

• 2 x red fl ags

• 12 x detonators

• 1 duster

• Electric Traction Instructions (Cape)

• General Train Regulations General Appendix

• Local Appendix for System.

• Emergency Equipment.

• 1 pair rubber gauntlets,

• 1 rubber mat, 30in. by 24in. by 3/4 in

• 1 pair insulated pliers, 8in

• 2 x screwdrivers, 5in and 8in

• 1 fi tter’s 2lb hammer

• 1 lead hammer

• 2 x cold chisels

• 2 x 15in second cut fi les

• 3 x double-ended spanners

(six sizes specifi ed in fractions of an inch)

• 3 x double-ended box-spanners,

(six sizes specifi ed in fractions of an inch)

• 1 Tommy-bar for spanners

• 1 oil-feeder

(NOTE — A box for emergency equipment is provided in each motor

coach, and drivers are responsible for the safe custody of the

aforementioned, and any other articles which may be added from

time to time.)

AGEING ROLLING STOCK: METRORAIL IS NOT ALONE!South Africans tend to think local railway problems are unique

to this country. Residents of Calgary (in the Canadian province

of Alberta) probably think the same way about theirs. This was a

recent press report:

“Just call it the Little Engine That Couldn’t. It’s a kinder name

than what many Calgary commuters have been calling the C-Train

over the past fi ve weeks, with bad luck and brittle infrastructure

causing a massive headache for light rail transit (LRT) riders.

‘Always be at your stop on time and leave yourself extra travel

time as things happen that are out of our control,’ was the offi cial

social-media message issued by Calgary Transit in late July.

“They sure weren’t kidding. Over the past 30 working days,

Calgary’s LRT network has suffered 18 major delays, forcing transit

offi cials to issue public statements apologising and explaining

the setbacks.

“Half of the C-Train stoppages were mechanical in nature.

Electrical breakdowns, doors refusing to close and other failures

of track and train account for nine transit system stalls, up to 20

Drivers of these 1,500V DC 1M electric sets, fi rst introduced at Cape

Town in 1927, were issued with the tool kit list reproduced here. It was

printed in the September 1993 Western Cape Railtalk. Editor Malcolm Bates

commented that it could have doubled as a bank robbery outfi t.

Malcolm Bates sketched this typical 3-coach 1M set at Sea Point.


OPINION – AND THE WIDER WORLD

PETE THE PUNDIT looks at some

Recent Highlights – and Also One or Two From The Past

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minutes long. A handful of delays were medical in nature: though

such cases are offi cially unexplained beyond ‘medical emergency,’

fainting aboard crowded train coaches has been an issue for

busy transit systems around the world.

“The rest of the unscheduled stops are in the bad luck category —

a freight train breaking down in the path of the LRT, a vehicle

colliding with a passing C-Train, and one case of a stray dog running

along the line.

“For people in a rush — and what commuter isn’t — the frequency

of foul-ups is a massive frustration. Missed meetings, lost

appointments and lame excuses to the boss make for miserable

mornings, and that’s not to mention the aggravation of a delay on

the ride back home.

“To be crammed armpit-to-elbow aboard a sweaty C-Train coach,

only to be told there’s a 20 minute delay, gives new meaning to the

phrase ‘Highway to Hell.’ For delays to be such a regular part of

taking transit is like volunteering for a migraine headache.

“But the good news as the LRT packs ever tighter over the next

two weeks with returning students?

“Sorry Calgary — there isn’t any for the immediate future. ‘Our trains

are old and our mechanics do their best to maintain them, but

we have to use everything we have right now due to the demand,’

said Theresa Schroder, spokeswoman for Calgary Transit. ‘During

rush hour we have all available buses on the roads, and with

trains, the way the track is set up, we can only do so much.’

“Upgrades are ongoing: The 18 delays cited above don’t include

planned service restrictions taking place almost every weekend,

when tracks are reduced to one-way to allow for infrastructure

improvements. New trains are gradually on the way too, but for

now Calgarians are still riding aboard a system with LRT coaches

dating back to the days of Mayor Ralph Klein and disco.

“If the trains and track are getting a little funky with age,

Schroder says rotten luck — like the mutt running on the tracks —

has added to woes typical of a big city transit system.

‘We are in the process of upgrading the entire system and that will

help, but we’re going to have passenger emergencies, and cars

stuck on the tracks, and things beyond our control,’ she said. That’s

going to happen, no matter what — it’s the way the system is.’

“The system is old, but at least Calgary Transit’s communication

with passengers is cutting edge. Within minutes of a breakdown,

explanations are sent out via social media, explaining the latest

delay. Of course, passengers can answer right back: ‘If this

summer taught me anything it’s that Calgary Transit is falling

apart,’ was one passenger’s pithy post in response to the frequent

delays. There’s no relief around the corner, but the chair of the

city’s transportation committee says the end of regular

breakdowns is at least in sight. ‘Unfortunately, we are behind

on infrastructure — there were just too many years of too few

improvements,’ said Alderman Andre Chabot. ‘But city council just

approved new LRV cars to replace the existing fl eet, and these

are new modern cars with all the bells and whistles. They should

start to arrive within the next couple of years.’”

THE HEATHROW PODPersonal rapid transit (PRT) aims to combine the best features of

railways and private cars. The vehicles travel on and are restricted

to a guideway – hence the similarity to rail – but each is separate

and individual – like a car.

PRT has not got off the ground quite as quickly as its protagonists

would have liked. It doesn’t come cheaply and authorities able

to raise the sort of money needed tend to be uncertain that the

idea will work.

The latest exponent is London’s Heathrow airport. The bus service,

carrying some 500,000 people annually, has been withdrawn

between Terminal 5 (T5) and the Business Car Park. Passengers

are now using the 21 vehicle “pods” travelling on almost 4km of

guideway. By 21 August, approximately 63,000 trips had been

completed, and today about 800 people are being moved daily.

The system has performed very well so far with an average waiting

time of 30 seconds.

People love the fact that it is on demand, doesn’t stop for

anybody else and gets you quickly to the terminal. Most users are

extremely impressed. The fi ve minute ride has been described as

“futuristic”, “rapid” and “a transport revelation.”

Like many urban light rail systems, that in Calgary runs in the street in the

CBD. Unusually however, passengers board not at street level but from

high platforms.

“ Not everyone would have heard Allen Jorgensen’s interview on Radio 702 on high-speed lines. But thanks for spelling it out, Al – no high speed lines or broader gauge will work until we have fi xed what we already have.”Dr Vaughan Mostert, Department of Transport &

Logistics, Johannesburg University.



Advantages claimed in the airport context include:

• Keeping down congestion and noise near the terminal

• Greater environmental effi ciency than cars.

• Cutting down on waiting time for passengers as opposed to

mass transit systems on a schedule

• Noise reduction

• Allowing for individualised destination points

Each temperature-controlled Heathrow pod has been designed

for privacy and comfort and allows passengers to select their own

direct destination. There are no timetables as a central computer

ensures that pods are distributed at each station according to

passenger demand. When waiting for a passenger, the pods

recharge themselves at battery points, so are always ready to go.

The overall cost of PRT is very dependent on the environment to

be served. At Heathrow, the system had to fi t into a very complex

existing environment, without disrupting any other airport services.

Much depends on the expected demand which determines

the number of vehicles required. The typical range is between

£4-8 million (say R44-88 million) per kilometre. That includes

the guideway, the stations along the way, the vehicles and the

control systems.

The Heathrow pods were designed and built in Britain by Ultra

Global PRT. Originally, the company explains, the concept was

aimed at urban cities – but these are very complicated

environments. PRT slots in well with airport requirements - a lot

of people moving around and between terminals and transfers

that need to be as smooth and simple as possible.

Footnote: About fi fteen years ago, Cape Town’s Golden Arrow Bus

Services - in association with an American manufacturing concern

- tried to interest the city in a PRT system. However, nobody went

along with the idea.

PO Box 9375, Centurion0046, South Africa

105 Theuns St. , Hennopspark, Centurion, 0157, South Africa

Tel: +27 (0)12 653-4595Fax: +27 (0)12 653-6841www.vherail.co.za

Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) “pods” at Heathrow.



UK SIGNALBOXES ON THE WAY OUT Signal boxes will be a thing of the past in the UK within 20 years.

Network Rail plans to consolidate all signal operation in 14 control

centres. The aim is to “apply universal operating procedures across

the network, boosting service reliability and saving money and

manpower.”

Existing operating centres include Derby, Gillingham, Cardiff,

Saltley, Edinburgh, Ashford, Didcot and Glasgow. New centres are

proposed for Romford, Three Bridges, York, Manchester, Rugby

and Basingstoke.

There are still more than 800 signal boxes in Britain, compared to

10,000 a hundred years ago. Staff are to be slowly reduced from

today’s complement of 5,500 to around 1,700 over the next 15

years. Many signal personnel will be retiring at the age limit (65),

so little in the way of redundancies is expected.

PAKISTAN MAY HIRE LOCOSPakistan Railways (PR) is

facing an acute shortage

of locomotives, resulting in

“dozens” of passenger trains

being suspended and others

being delayed for up to 12

hours, leaving hundreds of

passengers stranded across

the country.

PR general manager (operations) Saeed Akhtar told The Dawn

newspaper that locomotives may be hired from India if the

government approves current proposals. According to Akhtar,

China and the Czech Republic are keen to rent locomotives to

PR: “We will advertise. The responsibility of maintaining locomotives

will be on the supplier and PR will pay the rent on daily basis,”

Akhtar says.

DEFIBRILLATORS FOR CHICAGO COMMUTER TRAINSThough federal law in the USA requires defi brillators on passenger

airlines, this is not the case on commuter trains. In 2009,

Boston became the fi rst city in North America to begin installing

defi brillators on its trains. Chicago is to follow suit - if the Metra

rail authority can fi nd $1.1 million for the project.

On 12 August, Metra’s

board agreed to instal 427

defi brillators on its trains,

work facility and police

vehicles. The agreement came

after a committee examined

all medical assistance calls on

Metra rail lines — excluding

Union Pacifi c and Burlington

Northern Santa Fe — over a two-

year period. Within that time,

there were 250 calls, 20

“appearing” to be heart related

problems.

The defi brillators cost between

$900 to $1,000 each, and

another $500 to $600 is

needed to pay for a container

and installation. In addition

to the $1.1 million budget, it

would cost about $500,000

every two years for inspection

and maintenance, as well as

training employees to use the

devices.

RUSSIAN RAILWAYS PRIVATISINGRossiiskie Zheleznie Dorogi (RZhD – the Russian State Railway)

hopes to complete the share sale of its Freight One cargo

subsidiary by the end of September 2011, the St Petersburg Times

reports, quoting company president Vladimir Yakunin. The aim is

to sell off 75% minus two shares in Freight One, which operates

about 21% of Russiâ’s freight rolling stock. RZhD is one of several

state-owned entities that the government wants to wholly or

partially privatise by 2017. The government, Yakunin explained,

will decide what and when to sell, but said the sale of a majority

stake in Russian Railways itself was unlikely and cautioned

against a breakup of the monopoly. President Dmitry Medvedev

has called for the privatisation process to accelerate.

[RZhD operates on the 1,520mm gauge – Editor.]

There are still more than 800 signalboxes in Britain. Most are generally

similar to this example at Cambridge, seen in 1979.

Operational South African signalboxes are becoming rare, though a

number of non-working examples are still in existence – like this one at

Muizenberg.

Muizenberg four decades ago. Rodding to work the points can be seen

between the track and platform. Photos: Editor.

Korakoram Express to Lahore at Karachi, Pakistan. Photo: nomi887.

Metra train in Chicago. Photo: Russell

Sekeet.

Chicago’s Metra: Geneva, a typical

suburban station. Photo: Jeremy Atherton.



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ANGOLA KEI RAIL COACHES GO ON BOARDFive years ago, South African Eastern Cape Province’s Kei Rail

initiative saw the 282km line to Mthatha from Amabele junction

(on the main-line to Johannesburg) rebuilt at a cost of over R150

million. A small fl eet of rehabilitated coaches comprises the

rolling stock. Additional coaches, which were rebuilt by Transnet

Rail Engineering (TRE) some time ago but not paid for, were

recently sold off to Angola.

The consignment consisted of 13 economy class sitter coaches,

two business class sitters, one economy class sleeper, two

kitchen/bar/lounge-cars and two power coaches to generate

electricity for air-conditioning and other needs. All were shipped

from Durban late in July.

The 48-seat business class coaches have reclining seats,

footrests and overhead luggage racks. Each of the fully equipped

kitchen cars has an adjoining lounge/bar area with both stool

seating and long tables, and serving hatches are provided.

HISTORY OF CAMINHOS DE FERRO DE BENGUELA (CFB)The Benguela railway company was

founded on 27 November 1902, when a

decree authorised the granting of land for

the construction of a railway from Lobito

to Angola’s eastern border with what is

today the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The following day, a 99-year concession

contract to build and operate the line was

granted by the Portuguese government to

British citizen Robert Williams. Substantial

freight and passenger traffi c, both local

and international, ceased at the outbreak

of civil war in 1975.

In 2001, the concession contract was ended

and the railway passed into government

Ph

oto

s cou

rtesy Tra

nsn

et.

hands. Partial rehabilitation with state

funding began in 2001. The 44km Calenga-

Santa Iria section in Huambo province was

carrying limited traffi c by 2004, followed

by the Lobito-Cubal section in Benguela

province. Rebuilding on the rest of the

railway started in 2006 with funding and

construction assistance from China.

The total line length from Lobito to the DRC

border is 1,344km, crossing the provinces

of Huambo and Bié to the eastern border

in Moxico province.

ANGOLAN INTERNATIONAL RAIL LINKSOn 25 August, Angola’s RNA national radio

quoted transport ministry infrastructure

director Carla Marques saying that rail links

to Namibia, Zambia and the Democratic

Republic of Congo “may be” completed in

2014.

New ports are to be built at Cabinda (the

isolated Angolan province north of the

Congo River) and at Barra do Dande in

Bengo province, 50km north of Luanda,

Marques said. “As soon as construction of

the Barra do Dande port begins, work will

begin on a new branch line from Caminhos

de ferro de Luanda (CFL)”. She added

that providing interconnection between

Angola’s three rail systems – CFL, CFB and

CFM – is an important aim.

16 Railways Africa August 2011

AFRICA UPDATEAFRICA UPDATE

AFRICA UPDATE


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KENYAAMBITIOUS RAIL PROJECTS: KENYA SEEKS CONSULTANTS Kenya Railway Corporation (KRC) has

invited consulting fi rms to submit

expressions of interest in planning “a

modern commuter rail transport network

linking Mombasa and Kisumu to their

surrounding towns. Successful fi rms would

undertake the technical, economic and

fi nancial viability analysis of the project,

identify options and develop frameworks

for fi nancing and operation including

public-private partnerships.”

According to KRC procurement manager

Lucy Njoroge, “The scope of the

assignment will cover a transport demand

study, identifi cation of major intermodal

and rail transport corridors within the

study area, preliminary social and

environmental impact study and analysis

of rail-based mass transit systems and

networks.” They would be tasked with

preparing the project Implementation

schedule covering a detailed technical

study, construction and commissioning.

The new railway system is expected to

be completed by 2017, “opening up the

regions for growth, reduce reliance on

road transport and reduce the cost of

transport between Kisumu and Mombasa.

It will provide an effi cient, cost-effective

and environmentally sustainable transport

system that will support and spur trade,

socio-economic growth in the western

and coastal towns,” according to the

international tender invitation.

From Kisumu, a 70km commuter network

is planned to Mumias via the towns of Yala

and Butere. Other areas to be connected

include Fort Tennan, Miwani, Muhoroni,

Kibos, Oyugis, Kisii, Kiboswa, Mbale, and

Kakamega.

The Mombasa network will include a new

80km line to Ramisi, passing through

Miritini, Dongo Kundu and Ng’ombeni. The

plan envisages a new 250km railway from

Mombasa to Lamu through Mtwapa, Kilifi

and Malindi. Another project would entail

building a 80km line from Mombasa to Kilifi

through Kaloleni and Takaungu. These three

lines would support the existing Mombasa-

Taveta line in opening up Mombasa and the

surrounding areas.

KRC is looking for investors to help develop

offi ce blocks, hotels, light manufacturing

industries, parking bays and shopping

malls on its 320 acres of land surrounding

the rail stations in Nairobi, Kisumu and

Mombasa at an expected cost $US3.25

billion, to support the new commuter rail

lines.

MOZAMBIQUEMAPUTO’S BEAUTIFUL STATIONThe main railway station in Maputo has

been voted by the American magazine

Travel+Leisure, which claims a readership

approaching 5 million, as one of the 16

most beautiful in the world. Also featured

on the list is the neoclassical Gare du Nord

in Paris, the interior gardens of the Atocha

station in Madrid, the modern stations

of Kanazawa, Japan, and Melbourne,

LOBITO-HUAMBO REOPENINGAngolan president José Eduardo dos

Santos welcomed the fi rst train on the

reopened Lobito-Huambo section of

Caminhos de ferro de Benguela (CFB) at

festivities in Huambo on 30 August. The

Angolan news agency Angop reported that

“thousands” welcomed the president and

other dignitaries. The line had been out

of action for 27 years due to the civil war,

during which the infrastructure was totally

destroyed.

Other speakers at the ceremony included

local governor Fernando Faustino Muteka.

According to Angop, “for the proper

functioning of the Benguela railway,

locomotives, carriages and freight wagons

were imported from South Africa”. The

restored line has the capacity to carry

more than four million passengers per year

and 20 million tons of freight.

Some 200 people boarded the special at

Cubal, in the central Benguela province,

including ministers, journalists, transport

ministry offi cials and railway personnel.

Accompanied by fi rst lady Ana Paula

dos Santos, the president boarded the

inaugural train at São Pedro station.

[As far as we can discover, rolling stock

acquired from South Africa did not include

locomotives. - Editor]

ZenzaLuanda

Dondo

Malanje

LobitoBenguela

Camacupa

Caaia KuitoHuamboCubal

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ROLLING STOCK EQUIPMENT BUSINESS


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Australia, the arte nouveau station of the

Orient Express in Istanbul, and London’s

neo-gothic St Pancras.

Maputo station in Mozambique is the only

African example to feature. The article

highlights the structure’s green exteriors,

its large dome and the intricate steel work

that it believes makes the station “an

unexpected and modest beauty.”

Built between 1913 and 1916 it is often

wrongly attributed to Gustave Eiffel, creator

of the famous tower in Paris. It was in fact

designed by a trio of Portuguese architects,

Alfredo Augusto Lisboa de Lima, Mário

Veiga and Ferreira da Costa.Maputo station in 2011. Photos: Roderick Smith.

NAMIBIATRANSNAMIB’S OPEN DAYOn 29 August, Trans-Namib Holdings

launched its fi rst “business open-day”

to promote rail transport in the business

sector following the completion of the

new railway from Tsumeb to Ondangwa.

The event, which coincided with the

Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair (OATF) and is

to be held annually, was attended by well-

known business personalities in the north

who were taken aboard the Desert Express

train for an excursion tour to Onyaanya

Station.

At the new Nehale Lya Mpingana Station

in Ondangwa, TransNamib Holdings chief

executive offi cer Titus Haimbili said: “We

are pleased to announce that the northern

railway link was extended in 2006 by

246km from Tsumeb to Ondangwa

which made it possible to transport bulk

commodities up to 60km from the Angolan

border.”

Promising that he would make TransNamib

a profi table company before his term

comes to an end, Haimbili boasted that

Namibia is the only country in the Southern

Africa Development Community (SADC)

to “further develop” its railways in the

past decade. The remaining 60km of line

to the Angolan border is currently under

construction.

Haimbili is currently president of the

Southern African Railway Association (Sara).

AFRICA UPDATE

TANZANIACHINESE LOAN FOR TAZARAChina has granted a soft loan of $US39.9 million to the Tanzania-

Zambia Railways Authority (Tazara). The money is to be spent on

purchasing six new locomotives, the rehabilitation of nine others,

acquiring 90 new freight wagons and revamping six cranes, as well

as purchasing materials and spare parts.

The 1,860km Tazara line runs from Tanzania’s port of Dar es Salaam

on the Indian Ocean to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia, where it connects

with the Zambian main-line (which extends from the Zimbabwe

border to the Democratic Republic of Congo - DRC). The track,

building s and other infrastructure were built by Chinese endeavour

in the seventies. In recent years the railway has struggled to

maintain its assets and move meaningful amounts of cargo.

When tabling his 2011/2012 budget in Tanzania’s National

Assembly in Dodoma, minister for transport Omar Nundu reported

that Tazara transported 533,964 tonnes - an average of 44,497

tonnes a month – in 2010/2011, compared to 522,966 tonnes in

2009/2010. Passenger service totals also improved marginally,

with 787,666 people carried in 2010/11 - a monthly average of

65,639 - compared to 767,066 in 2009/2010.

Repeated staff boycotts that have plagued Tazara in recent

years – mostly due to late payment of wages - were blamed by the

minister on “poor management”.

FINANCE FOR TAZARA

When tabling his 2011/2012 budget in Tanzania’s National

Assembly in Dodoma, minister for transport Omar Nundu reported

that China has waived half the $60 million debt still outstanding

for the construction of the line in the seventies.

During August, when receiving a seven-year loan of $250 million

from a consortium of local and global fi nanciers led by Stanbic

Bank Tanzania Limited, fi nance minister Mustafa Mkulo said part

will be used to upgrade the Tazara railway.

UGANDAKAMPALA SHUTTLESRift Valley Railways (RVR) is to start a commuter train service to link

the Ugandan capital Kampala with its satellite towns. Operations

manager Peter Owollo told New Vision that initially daily services

will run from Mondays to Fridays from Kampala to Namanve, via

Makerere Business school, Meat packers, interfreight headquarters,

Banda, Kireka and Bweyogerere.

About a month later, Owollo told the paper, trains will serve the Jinja

areas over weekends. He said that fi ve commuter coaches, each

with a capacity of 80 passengers, are ready for service and that a

further three are to be acquired from the RVR Nairobi headquarters.

A fl at fare of sh1,500 will apply in respect of any distance between

Kampala and Namanve. When the weekend service to Jinja

commences, the fare will be sh5,000.

RVR general manager James Nyambari says that services would

have begun long before this, had squatters and informal traders not

settled in the rail reserve.

ZIMBABWENRZ “ON LIFE SUPPORT” According to Tafadzwa Shoko, staff reporter of the Zimbabwe

Financial Gazette, the Ntaional Railways of Zimbabwe only carried

3.7 million tonnes of freight last year, compared with more than

18 million tonnes in 1978.

“It used to run 126 engines in 1999 but the number of locomotives

plummeted to 112 in 2000, 99 in 2001, 83 in 2002 and 60 in

2003,” Shoko writes. “This year, the government allocated $US7.4

million towards the rehabilitation of the railway infrastructure

among other things but the vote was inadequate considering

the years of underinvestment suffered by the parastatal. “Once

the rehabilitation programme is completed, NRZ expects to ferry

about 6.4 million tonnes this year and is projecting an increase

in passenger numbers to 2.5 millioncompared to last year’s

2.2 million.

“Analysts say part of NRZ problems emanate from the fact that

the institution is at times forced to dabble in unviable populist

projects such as the now defunct ‘freedom train’, which used to

charge uneconomic fares.

Ifatakara station on the Tazara Railway. Photo: Manuel Hetzel.

Chingola

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“Kipson Gundani, an economist at the Zimbabwe National Chamber

of Commerce, says the parastatal must be allowed to operate

on a commercial basis and not overplay its corporate social

responsibility function. ‘NRZ is a parastatal and most parastatals

suffered because of the economic meltdown. Also, NRZ does not

have a profi t motive, hence they end up charging prices which

are not cost-determined. Most of its locomotives are old and it

brings a cost burden (to their operations),’ Gundani points out.

“NRZ is one of the worst performing parastatals in the country.

Because of ineffi ciencies in the rail system, most companies now

prefer to transport their goods by road and at times air, which adds

to excessive cost build-ups in the pricing of their products. The

multifaceted problems at NRZ have resulted in the public losing

confi dence in rail Transport.”

GE GT22LC2 diesel, one of 60 acquired by NRZ post-1982, Photo: G Cooke.

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CAPE TOWN TRAINS ON FIRE On 5 August, a Metrorail commuter train was set on fi re –

apparently deliberately - at Stikland, 22km east of Cape Town on

the main-line to the north. Shortly before 21:00 after the Friday

evening peak-hour, a motor coach and three plain trailers were

totally destroyed.

Nearby residents say it took fi refi ghters close to an hour to douse

the fl ames. Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott said the burning

carriages were separated from the rest of the train. No injuries

were reported.

On Saturday 9 August, an electrical fault caused a motor coach to

catch fi re between Vlottenberg and Stellenbosch stations.

Speaking for Metrorail’s regional manager’s offi ce, Eddie

Chinnappen said the incidents would affect operations. “The

loss of fi rst four carriages then a second motor coach will have

a devastating effect on our commuters as demand is already

exceeding supply.”

TRAIN & BUS TORCHED IN CAPE TOWNOn 25 August at about 05:00, a motor coach and trailer in a

Metrorail train were set on fi re at Nolungile station in Khayelitsha.

Rail services were severely disrupted and the Golden Arrow

company deployed some sixty buses to convey train passengers.

At about 06:00, a Golden Arrow bus was stoned, then petrol-

bombed. Firefi ghters described the vehicle as a total burn-out.

Furious commuters who suffered heavy delays blamed striking

municipal workers for the fi res.

Members of the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) had been

involved in a protracted wage-related strike. When the situation

turned violent, the City of Cape Town obtained a court order

barring the strikers from committing violence.

FIRE IN ROMEA serious fi re at the Tiburtina station in Rome on 24 July caused

widespread disruption to train services throughout Italy. The

effects were felt as far afi eld as Bologna, Florence and Turin.

There were no deaths – not even any injuries – and perhaps

because of this, the general media seemed to show little interest.

Rome Termini is the station most tourists use, but Tiburtina is a

major train/metro/bus hub in the city. The newly constructed

control room was destroyed in the blaze. The old part of the

station was also affected, mainly administrative offi ces of

Ferrovie dello Stato (FS – the Italian state railway). Damage was

said to be “enormous”. The possibility of arson was not ruled out.

The fi re burned for fi fteen hours before being extinguished. For

most of the day, only two lines passing through the station were

open, impeding traffi c on the main north-south intercity route.

These included regional and medium-to-long-run trains. Some

high-speed trains between Milan and the south were rerouted

along western coastal lines via Pisa, in order to bypass Tiburtina.

Alternative bus transport from Rome was organised for travellers

heading to destinations including Florence and Ancona on the

Adriatic, according to Sky TV. The main stations in both Milan

and Rome posted delays of several hours for those long-

distance trains that were able to continue operating. At least one

southbound high-speed service from Milan made it only as far

as Florence, where passengers were told the train would not be

continuing to Rome.

One of Rome’s subway lines runs under Tiburtina station. Smoke

entered the tunnel, forcing the closure of the metro stop for

nearly three days. People living nearby were warned to keep their

windows closed as thick, dark smoke continued to billow out of

the station.

NORTH AMERICAN EARTHQUAKEOn 23 August, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake centred in Virginia

rocked the eastern USA. Amtrak and Metro passenger trains were

slowed to 25km/h while stations, tracks and overhead wires

were thoroughly inspected. The large Eastern US freight railroad

CSX worked closely with passenger agencies and government

offi cials in conducting broad-based inspections. Meanwhile in

the New Jersey area, the Holland and Lincoln tunnels leading to

Manhattan were temporarily closed, with both Hudson River

crossings quickly reopened after they were checked for structural

damage, according to The New Jersey Journal.

Inspections were carried out on track, signals, bridges and

tunnels, as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Freight trains

operated at reduced speeds of 16-24km/h. Amtrak expresses

in the Washington-New York-Boston corridor resumed their usual

speeds from 24 August and Metro services – as well as CSX -

returned to normal.

CONCRETE MIXER TRUCK FALLS ONTO TRAINThe UK Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has released

its fi ndings following a bizarre incident on 5 November 2010. A


Mishaps & BlundersMishaps & BlundersOne objective of our regular feature reporting and commenting on rail mishaps is to provide information and object lessons from Africa and abroad, in the hope that – in some cases at least - this might help avoid recurrences.

MISHAPS & BLUNDERS

three-axle concrete mixer vehicle crashed through the parapet

of a bridge over the double-track railway near Oxshott, Surrey,

and fell 10.5 metres onto train 2G46, the 15:05 from Guildford

to London Waterloo. The truck was loaded with concrete and

weighed approximately 24 tonnes. One passenger out of 26 on the

train, also the driver of the cement truck, sustained serious injuries.

Five other passengers on the train were slightly hurt.

The train was formed of two four-car class 455 electric multiple

units. Severe crush damage was caused to the leading end of

the sixth coach. In addition one side of the seventh and eighth

coaches suffered serious damage. The last bogie on the train (the

eighth coach) derailed. The train came to a stand with the rear

coach approximately 60 metres from the point of impact.


A truck similar to that which fell onto the train at Oxshott.

The sixth coach of the train. Photo: RAIB.

The seventh coach of the train. Photo: RAIB.

that high levels of fatigue will be experienced by people working a

fi rst night shift.”

ONE FATALITY, 40 HURT IN POLISH CRASHOn 12 August, one passenger died and “at least” 40 were hurt

(according to police reports) when a Polish intercity train aboutr

two hours out of Warsaw on its way to Katowice derailed at the

town of Baby, near the city of Piotrkow Trybunalski. The locomotive

and three coaches left the line. According to a passenger quoted

in a BBC report: “The fi rst wagon was completely destroyed,

windows smashed and its sides bashed in. Local television quoted

fi refi ghter Wlodzimierz Kapiec saying: “We are told that people

were hurled through windows and landed under the wagon

which is lying on its side.”.

Polskie Koleje Panstwowe (PKP – the Polish State Railways)

spokesman Lukasz Kurpiewski told TVN24 that about 280

passengers were believed to have been on the train.

CABLE THEFT HALTS GAUTRAIN IN ITS TRACKSBarely a week after Gautrain services began running to Pretoria,

theft of about 100 metres of electric cable shut down morning

peak-hour operations north of Centurion. “There will be no

Gautrain service between Hatfi eld and Centurion until about 10:00

this morning, 10 August,” the website announced optimistically.

In fact, services only resumed about four hours after that. Buses

provided a substitute service, leaving Gautrain bus feeder routes

in Hatfi eld, Pretoria and Centurion on a frequency of 24 minutes

instead of the scheduled 12.

Bombela spokesman Errol Braithwaite was quoted by The Star

saying: “Something has to be done by the police about this. It

has become untenable. We have done everything we possibly can

and have spent a lot of money on tight security measures”.

RUNAWAY AT SHAPA year ago, in the early hours of 17 August 2010, a northbound

freight train was travelling on a rising gradient between Tebay and

Shap, on the UK west coast main-line in Cumbria. A signalman

noticed the 13-wagon train had come to a stop and that it had

started rolling backwards. Before the driver was able to bring it to a

stand, it travelled some 3km at speeds up to 80km/h.

Driver fatigue, related to the working of night shifts, was the likely

reason for what happened, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch

(RAIB) has concluded. It has urged the Offi ce of Rail Regulation to

update guidance to train operators on how to deal with potentially

tired drivers.

According to the RAIB report: “The investigation found that the

train driver, who was working the fi rst of a series of night shifts,

was probably fatigued and not suffi ciently alert at the time of the

incident.” It concluded that “the mathematical model adopted by

most of the rail industry is likely to under-predict the probability

The cement truck after the train was removed. Photo: RAIB.


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In 2005, before construction started, international security experts

said they were “undaunted” by crime in South Africa, especially

cable theft, which is “common” in countries where they had worked,

such as Singapore. Star reporter Anna Cox recalls that “Gautrain

project manager Jack van der Merwe told journalists that crime in

South Africa was ‘not unusual’ by international standards. There

was nothing here that the developers brought in to work on the

Gautrain project had not already come across in other countries,

he said.

“The difference in Joburg, Van der Merwe said, would be that the

cabling would be buried deep underground, secured under several

metres of concrete, to ensure the cables remained secure and

could not be stolen. Van der Merwe said there would be CCTV

cameras throughout stations, rail reserves, walkways and parking

areas, and the control centre would monitor trains as well as

stations at all times. “But none of these measures,” Cox pointed

out, “ succeeded in preventing Tuesday night’s cable theft.”

Another problem in the same week was the illegal two-day strike by

Gautrain bus drivers.

[Footnote: Less than a week later, Gautrain services came to a

standstill again, due to more cable theft. Passengers were stranded

and some were said to have missed fl ights. – Editor]

SWISS DERAILMENT Railway accidents in Switzerland are rare, but on 8 August, eight

people were reported hurt when a regional train headed for the

German village of Waldhut with 50 passengers aboard derailed

in the north-eastern canton of Aargau and “grazed” a freight

locomotive. Both drivers were injured.

COMBATING CABLE THEFTA senior police offi cer from the crime intelligence unit has been

brought in to lead the fi ght against copper theft, newly appointed

Transnet CEO Brian Molefe told Chris Barron of the Sunday Times.

He is confi dent, he says, that “this battle will be won”.

MUMBAI MONORAIL CONSTRUCTION FATALITIESDuring July, a beam weighing 60 tonnes collapsed at the monorail

construction site on RCF Road in Mumbai’s Chembur, killing two

persons and injuring three.

A partial monorail trial scheduled on the Mysore Colony stretch was

cancelled following a second accident at one of the construction

sites and heavy rains that slowed down the work. Joint project

director at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development

Authority (MMRDA) Dilip Kawathkar explains: “The basic issue was

the accident that happened in July around the same spot, We will

decide on another date for the trial run in due course of time.”

According to additional metropolitan commissioner Ashwini Bhide,

the bad state of roads made it diffi cult to transport heavy beams.

However, she says, the MMRDA aims to complete construction of

the fi rst phase of the monorail project, stretching from Chembur

to Wadala, and start pilot runs on the entire route by May 2012.

“About 60-70% of the work on the route is already complete,”

Bhide says.

The fi rst phase of the 8.26km monorail, part of the Jacob Circle-

Wadala-Chembur route, was originally scheduled to be completed

by December 2010.

BART SYSTEMWIDE SHUTDOWNAmong many similarities between San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid

Transit (Bart) and Gautrain was the choice of a track gauge different

from the whole of the rest of the country. Both systems rely

heavily on computers and sophisticated electronic signalling. The

basic aims of both were similar – to reduce car traffi c on specifi c

freeways, though Bart’s achievements in this department were

dismal by comparison with the optimistic consultants’ forecasts.

Bart has suffered many setbacks during the four decades of its

existence. As with Gautrain, leaks into the tunnel system were

an early problem. In Bart’s case, water was getting into the tube

beneath San Francisco Bay. (The leak was pinpointed by rowing

boats sent out to look for bubbles on the surface).

“ World-class cable theft proved too much: they’ve gone back to steam.”


MISHAPS & BLUNDERS

The electronic devices send data from the trackside computers

that control the trains and are designed to communicate with

each other, as a backup measure. When one has trouble, the

other takes over. But in this case one of the routers stopped

communicating, and this meant that the fl ow of data stopped too.

Technicians attempting to reboot the routers, using the usual

process of restarting both simultaneously, failed repeatedly. Finally,

they decided to take one router out of service and were then

able to reset the other.

While the 8 August troubles did not affect the trackside computers

or the automatic train controls, Bart has had an increasing number

of service disruptions involving those systems in the recent past.

Offi cials say the system needs $15 billion in upgrades over the

next 25 years-and “only about half of the funding is lined up.”

A serious fi re in the same underwater tunnel during 1979 closed

the line for many months. In the latest incident, on 8 August 2011,

an entire system shutdown lasted two hours, “due to the failure of

two data devices to work together“. Bart offi cials say a

communication problem between two routers, (“confi gured to

prevent a computer crash”), caused the shutdown, stranding

thousands of commuters.

Controllers shut down the railway when, shortly after the evening

peak, the operations control centre in Oakland lost visual displays

supposed to depict the location of all trains running. Each of

the 28 trains running at the time were halted immediately, then

moved to the nearest station, where passengers were advised

to fi nd alternative transport as Bart did not know how long the

problem would last.

Because the entire system had closed down. It was not possible

to arrange suffi cient buses to provide replacement service at

each of the 44 stations.

The cause of the router failure may take weeks or even months

to determine. Until the answer is found, expert technicians are to

remain on site whenever trains are running, to be able to quickly

reset the routers manually if this becomes necessary.

As a matter of fact, Bart has multiple backup systems in place -

but clearly even they can fail. Ironically, the routers that caused

the trouble on 8 August were specifi cally designed to prevent what

happened.

San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (Bart). Photo: Editor.

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MISHAPS & BLUNDERS

cab had been smashed but he escaped injury. He then called the

signaller to request that all trains be stopped on the adjacent line.

When he continued his journey, the tamper driver reported fi nding

another similar panel beside the track closer to Rugby.

The two metal panels were later recovered from the trackside

and found to be from two containers that were on train 4L68.

The containers were fi tted with power generation equipment. The

panels, approximately 2.5m high x 1m wide, had been screwed

to the container sides; each had covered a louvred-aperture. The

RAIB examined the containers and found evidence of loose and

missing screws on other panels that had been fi tted.

DERAILMENT NEAR PENN STATION, NYOn 9 August, two coaches of 10-car Trenton-bound New Jersey

Transit commuter train 3823 derailed in the tunnel near Penn

station, New York. No one was injured. The 300 passengers on

board were transferred to other trains within an hour.

Delays to both local and Amtrak long-distance operations resulted,

as only one track remained open. Keystone service operated

temporarily between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylnania,

only. North-east Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line trains were

delayed for up to 60 minutes. Midtown Direct trains were cut

back to the Hoboken Terminal.

COLLISION AT PETRUSBERGOn 10 August, a westbound freight train from Bloemfontein ran

head-on into a stationary eastbound train at Petrusberg, on the

line to Kimberley. Eyewitnesses said the driver and assistant of

the stationary train jumped from their cab when they saw the

other train approaching at speed. The driver of the other train and

her assistant also jumped prior to the collision, which they were

unable to avoid. All four were admitted to hospital with light

injuries, for observation.

BELLVILLE DERAILMENTOn 29 July, early in the morning, a Worcester-bound Metrorail

train derailed outside Bellville. Then a power failure disabled the

Wellington-Kraaifontein section. Further delays resulted when a

pedestrian was killed by a train at Stellenbosch.

Metrorail’s Lindelo Matya was quoted by Eyewitness News (EWN)

saying: “We are doing everything in our power to obviously restore

the services. Rescue teams are on site working timeously to try

and remove the train...” A shuttle service was introduced between

Wellington and Kraaifontein, while Eskom technicians worked on

the problem.

Later EWN reported that Metrorail and the Passenger Rail Agency

of South Africa (Prasa) are to meet to “explore ways to improve

commuter services on its trains and stations. They will discuss

complaints from commuters about overloading, delayed trains and

general safety.”

TRACK THEFT ARRESTSSix people were arrested on 8 August for trying to steal railway

lines between Malebitsa and Driefontein, in Tuinplaas, outside Bela

Bela, Limpopo police told News24: “Lieutenant-colonel Mohale

Ramatseba said they were arrested after police were alerted to

suspicious-looking vehicles moving around the area the previous

night. Police arrived to fi nd a wheel spanner and a crowbar on the

railway and that some bolts on the rails had been loosened.

“Ramatseba said police arrested two of the men in the area and

the other four nearby. They were from Soshanguve and Tembisa, in

Gauteng.” The offi cers confi scated the men’s Mazda kombi, Toyota

Hilux and Ford Courier.

CONTAINER PARTS ON UK TRACKThe UK Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has looked into

the dislodging of container panels, one of which collided with a

track maintenance machine near Althorpe Park, Northamptonshire

on 18 July 2011.

At 17:55, the driver of a tamper travelling on the Down

Northampton line reported that his cab had been struck by an

object from freight train 4L68, the 12:15 container service from

Birch Coppice (near Tamworth) to Felixstowe, as it passed on

the adjacent line. The tamper driver had observed a metal panel

fl apping from the side of the approaching container train. He

released the safety device in his cab as he moved to protect

himself and the tamper came to a stand. The side window of the

Bart coaches created a “space-age” impression when the system debuted,

but there were many teething troubles with the rolling stock. Photo: Editor.

Petrusberg head-on collision 10 August 2011. Photos: A Guelpa.


MISHAPS & BLUNDERS

DERAILED THEN RERAILEDOn 23 February 2011, one bogie in a train consisting of 27 empty

wagons derailed on a level crossing at Dalchalm in Scotland. The

driver was unaware that anything had happened. In fact, about

340 metres further on, the train passed over a second level

crossing where the derailed wheelset found its own way back onto

the track. Some 16km later, the driver was contacted by radio

from Inverness and instructed to stop and examine his train. A

resident near the Dalchalm crossing had seen a wagon behaving

oddly and had alerted the signal control centre. Reporting that he

found evidence of damage, the driver was sent assistance and did

not proceed further with the train.

Examination by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB)

revealed that a brake block holder on the leading bogie of the

20th wagon had become detached and had fallen between the

running and check rails on the crossing. This resulted in the

second bogie of the wagon derailing.

DERAILED & RERAILED AT BORDESLEY At 00:45 on 26 August, a freight train comprising a diesel-electric

locomotive, 30 empty aggregate wagons and an unloading wagon

derailed on the approach to Bordesley Junction, Birmingham. The

rear four wagons of the train, which was travelling between Banbury

and Barrow-on-Soar, were derailed but then became re-railed.

Extensive track damage was caused at the junction and there was

also some damage to the rolling stock, but no one was hurt.

Preliminary examination by the UK Rail Accident Investigation

Branch (RAIB) revealed that a wheel fl ange climbed over the outer

rail of a curve on the approach to the junction. Other wheels then

also became derailed. There was nothing to suggest that the

signalling or handling of the train contributed to the accident.

A full investigation is proceeding. This will include an examination

of the condition of the train and track, to establish the mechanism

that caused the derailment. The history of the wagons, track and

the maintenance carried out, will be looked at.

PROTECTIVE DEVICE INVOLVED IN TRAM FATALITY The UK Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is examining

the circumstances of a fatal accident t at Piccadilly Gardens in

central Manchester on 5 June 2011. At about 00:16, tram 1002

was approaching from the direction of Market Street at about

15 km/h when a pedestrian ran in front. He appeared to try to

stop before reaching the track but fell directly in front of the

tram, the front part of which passed over him. Although the driver

started to brake before reaching the pedestrian, he was unable to

stop before the pedestrian came into contact with the under-run

protector. This device that projects down from the underside of

the tram and is designed to prevent pedestrians from being

crushed under the wheels. The victim was found by rescuers to

be in close contact with the under-run protector. He was given

emergency treatment at the site but died later in hospital.

The RAIB investigation will seek to understand the mechanism

by which the injuries were caused to the pedestrian and the role

played by the under-run protector. Also, the history of accidents of

this type on tramway systems generally is to be reviewed.

Arrangement of check rails at Dalchalm level crossing. Photo: RAIB.

The detached brake block holder shown replaced (for photo purposes) into

the checkrail fl angeway where it fell, causing the derailment. Photo: RAIB.

The damaged track at Bordesley junction after the accident. Photo: RAIB.

“It’s this old apartheid-era signalling”.


MISHAPS & BLUNDERS

Wendy and Malcolm Bates, after his ordination

as Deacon in 2007.

ation

Nightfall at Beaufort West in the sixties. A class 25 condenser has

just taken over the northbound Trans-Karoo from a class 4E electric:

a card done in 1992.

Spray from pounding seas envelops a 5M2A set at Kalk Bay during the great storm of 22 September 1983.

S

Ba

The fi nal West Cape Railtalk: Altogether, Malcolm

produced 52 of these informative monthlies.

One of a series of characterful Christmas cards for the Railway

Society. On the left, a class GMAM Garratt is about to leave Worcester

for Riversdale in the sixties. Alongside, a class 4E electric gathers

steam (if that’s the right word) for the many miles of 1:40 up the Hex

River Pass.

New-generation Metrorail: Malcolm with a 10M3 set at Simon’s Town.

Malcolm on top of the Mountain.

Malcolm’s monochromatic Christmas Cards for the Railway Society were a

landmark series in the eighties. In later years, friends received characterful

miniature colour paintings each December. All portrayed familiar South

African rail scenes, the locomotives, rolling stock and lineside picked out in

fl awless detail.

Until 1998, Malcolm edited and produced the informative monthly newsletter

West Cape Railtalk, plentifully illustrated with photos (many his own) and

punctuated with characterful sketches from his pen. By then, he had resigned

his professional position with a leading Cape Town publisher to study

theology and go full-time into the church. His ministry was characterised by

dedication and distinction. In a private note commenting on a rail magazine

printing “regeneration” instead of “regenerative” (in a braking context), he

commented: “regeneration is a theological term, Ha Ha!”

Despite a demanding workload, he still found time for his many other

interests. In fact, until the sudden onset of illness barely four months ago

(when he was not quite 63) Malcolm energetically chaired the Railway History

Group in Cape Town, known for its series of informative publications, and he

produced the group’s regular Bulletin. Hopefully the group will put together a

collection of Malcolm’s evocative photographs recording the contemporary

Cape Peninsula rail scene in recent decades. It would fi ttingly commemorate

the important contribution he made.

To his wife and daughter from all

at Railways Africa: our

heartfelt sympathy.

MALCOLM BATESArtist and rail enthusiast Malcolm Bates, keen cyclist and mountain-climber, who died on 17 August, will be missed from the list of contributors to Railways Africa. His work in the magazine was mainly photographic, the subjects often Cape Town suburban electric trains on which he was an acknowledged expert. One of the men who drove the earliest of these, the 1,500V timber-bodied 1M sets introduced in 1927, was Malcolm’s grandfather W E Bates, who had previously been on steam locomotives in the Karoo. An uncle drove steam-hauled expresses to the Strand, in the days of the legendary class 5 Pacifi cs.


OBITUARY

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• Wednesday 1 February: Kisumu- Nakuru (195km) with class 87.

• Thursday 2 February: Nakuru-Naivasha (45km) with class 71;

Naivasha-Nairobi (110km) with class 87.

For more information: [email protected]

Meanwhile, Geoff’s Trains is looking at possibly going to Kenya

in September next year – pricing and the number of bookings

will dictate the feasibility. The programme would aim to include

veteran British diesels and three steam locomotives - class 24 no

2409, class 30 no 3020 and class 59 no 5918 - on the Nakuru,

Mombasa and Thika lines. Cooke’s safari to Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Botswana and South Africa will be repeated in the winter of 2012.

Contact Geoff Cooke for specifi c dates and the full itinerary of all

planned 2012 tours in Africa at: [email protected]. If the

2012 tours are fi rmed up, Geoff says he will offer South African

participants a Rand-based fi nancial package.

Voorbaai depot In preservation circles worldwide, it was always thought that

Transnet Foundation was looking to use Voorbaai depot at Mossel

Bay as a storage facility for prestige locomotives and rolling stock

like the Union Limited saloons. Sadly this has not proved to be

the case. With the ending of the Union Limited tour operations,

a pool of pristine steam locomotives is no longer needed. In

addition to representative former SAR steam classes, there are

Reefsteamers, GermistonReefsteamers will be operating their usual special train to the

annual Cherry Festival in the eastern OFS during 17-20 November

2011. There will be steam haulage on the Bethlehem-Ficksburg

section.

Sanrasm, KrugersdorpSanrasm’s North British-built 4-8-2T (works no 24386/1937),

which worked on Douglas Colliery and has been plinthed at

Florida Junction shopping centre on the West Rand for many

years, has received a new coat of paint.

Atlantic Rail, Cape TownAn Open Day was held on 21 August with three scheduled trains,

all fully booked in advance, to run from Cape Town to Bellville and

back. Unfortunately the weather was bad. Also, while taking on

water after the fi rst trip, class 24 no 3655 developed a serious

leak in the fi rebox followed by a blown tube. The second and third

journeys were therefore aborted.

The operator underwent a successful Rail Safety Regulator (RSR)

audit in August.

Enthusiasts’ tours in 2012A January/February tour, Classic Traction in Kenya (under the

Enthusiasts’ Holidays banner) is being planned to run behind the

old 1960s-vintage, English Electric-built class 71 and 87 diesel

locomotives. It is hoped to have some preserved steam locos lit up.

The provisional itinerary reads as follows:

• Saturday 28 January: Special train Nairobi-Naivasha-Nakuru

(155km) with class 87.

• Sunday 29 January: Nakuru-Eldoret (155km) with class 71.

• Monday 30 January: Eldoret-Kitale (70km) and return with class

71; Eldoret-Nakuru with class 87.

• Tuesday 31 January: Nakuru-Kisumu (195km) with class 87.

North British-built 4-8-2T (works no 24386/1937) at Florida Junction has

received a new coat of paint. Photo: D Walker.

Two tours being planned for 2012 in Kenya are designed to take in the old

English Electric diesel locomotives on the system. Photo: G Cooke.

Voorbaai depot, February 2011 – the two steam foreigners, ex-NRZ class

14A no 508 and class 16A no 615. Photo: P Conradie.


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two “foreigners” at Voorbaai - ex-National Railways of Zimbabwe

(NRZ) Garratt classes 14A no 508 and 16A no 615. Neither enjoyed

much use following their relocation to the Western Cape.

Motivation for acquiring these two locos came from the late Alan

Clarke. At fi rst, they were temporarily housed at Millsite depot,

Krugersdorp.

A photographic record made in February 2011 illustrates the sorry

current situation on the ground at Voorbaai. See:

http://steam-locomotives-south-africa.blogspot.

com/2011/04/voorbaai-loco-shed-hartenbos-february.html

Narrow gauge Garratt moves out of Port ElizabethBeyer Peacock-built NGG11 2-6-0 + 0-6-2 no 54 has been moved

by road from Port Elizabeth to Sandstone’s Free State site. Two

other engines of the class survive. Former Sanrasm-based no

52 is located at Bloemfontein shops. No 55, which was put

back in running order by Lukas Nel’s technical team at

Bloemfontein in 2004, is used by Paton’s Country Railway

working out of Ixopo, KwaZulu Natal.

Missing link in diesel preservationThe preservation of 1950s vintage South African class 31 and

32 diesel locomotives has been well documented over the

years. Class 31 GE diesels survive in both static preservation

and in industrial service by both Sheltam and RRL Grindrod. The

latest rescue exercise locally was loco no 31.009 from Waterval

Boven, in Mpumalanga. It was moved by road to RRL in Pretoria

for structural modifi cation. Two preserved GE class 32s served

for some years on the George-Knysna branch, until its closure

following severe fl oods in 2006. Other representatives of this

class worked at SNCZ, now Société Nationale des Chemins de fer

Congolais (SNCC – the state railway in the Democratic Republic

of Congo) as well as in the Zambian mineral industry.

Unfortunately, no representative of the seven Henschel-built

class 61 diesel-hydraulic locomotives survives. Acquired by the

South African Railways at the end of the fi fties, six were sold to

the former Rhodesia Railways during the sanctions era early in

the seventies. These centre-cab locos ended their operational

life, four liveries later, in industrial service on Zisco Steelworks’rail

system, in Zimbabwe’s Midlands, during the early 1990s.

Sales and rentals of locomotives, trackmobiles and other rolling stock.Repair/reconditioning of locomotives, trackmobiles and other rolling stock in our Pretoria West based workshop and on site.Repair/reconditioning of all locomotive and other rolling stock equipment (engines, bogies, turbo chargers, air and vacuum brake valves and auxiliaries, compressors and exhausters, couplers and draft gears etc.)Service exchange components for most major items on present day locomotives, which include traction motors, bogies, power packs, expressors and main generators etc.A full range of spare parts for locomotives and rail wagons, most of which are available off the shelf.Sales and rentals of electrical, mechanical and air jacking systems for the lifting of locomotives and rail wagons etc, on site.Operation and control of entire rail systems ranging from the maintenance of customers own locomotives and rolling stock to the control and transport of their products and the maintenance of their railway tracks and switch/signalling systems.

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The “innovation portal” has four stages – think, explore, prove,

do. To develop the initiative further and encourage a new wave of

proposals, Network Rail is encouraging businesses, universities

and research institutes to consider how they could have a positive

infl uence on the future of the railway.

Network Rail’s director of engineering Steve Yianni says: “There has

been a fantastic response from businesses at home and abroad

which we predict will help Network Rail make savings of around

£38m by 2014. We have been impressed by the thinking and

enthusiasm to help make the railway safer, more effi cient and more

cost-effective and are keen to develop the initiative further as there

is the potential to deliver even greater savings after 2014.

“As well as working with established suppliers, we are keen to hear

from organisations outside the traditional rail industry which could

help improve the railway. We are committed to delivering a better,

safer railway that maximises value for money and are keen to work

with any organisation which can help us achieve this.”

Applicants need to ensure their proposals fi t one of Network

Rail’s challenges, the list of which is reviewed and refreshed every

month. Proposals must be fundamentally new and different, solve a

particular problem and have a strong business case. Each proposal

will be assessed by a specially assigned innovation supply chain

manager to see whether the idea should be taken forward and

developed further.

Network Rail’s current specifi c challenges and priorities may

be viewed at www.networkrail.co.uk/brightideas

An “innovation portal” launched six months ago to encourage

businesses to provide innovative solutions to rail industry issues

in the UK has resulted in novel ideas being introduced that are

expected to produce savings of nearly £40m by 2014.

One solution being implemented is a camera which can spot

defects on the overhead catenary more than seven metres above

the operator’s head. The OLE cameras, developed with Kongsberg

Maritime Limited, can be operated without the need to turn off

the power along the wires or close the line. This will mean a more

effi cient and accurate maintenance programme, fewer delays to

passenger and freight services and will save millions of pounds in

delay payments.

The Thameslink project required a sleeper capable of housing a

53mm conductor rail as well as signalling and track cables. The

original plan was to use a full-depth sleeper with baseplates –

65mm deeper than adjacent sleepers – which would be expensive

and diffi cult to instal and maintain. A solution from Cemex has

seen a wider, shallower sleeper produced with cast-in housings,

delivering cost savings of 90% against existing products, expected

to be around £4m by 2014.

Other proposals from national and international organisations

currently being investigated in detail include acoustic curtains.

These are to provide simple, quick and effective noise control, to

reduce the impact on nearby houses during maintenance. Safety

fences, which clip onto the rail during maintenance and provide

a safe working environment while still allowing trains to pass on

nearby tracks, are another result of some clever thinking.

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POSTSCRIPT

BRIGHT IDEAS DEPARTMENT

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Railways Africa Issue 6 2011

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Transcript of Railways Africa Issue 6 2011