Share

Gautrain services resume after cable theft

Johannesburg - The Gautrain train service between Hatfield and Park stations resumed operations on Thursday morning following earlier delays due to cable theft, operator Bombela Concession Company said.

The train cables had since been replaced, the signals were back in order and the trains were running at normal speeds on all lines, spokesperson Errol Braithwaite said in a statement.

Earlier on Thursday, delays on the north-south line were caused by around 300m of signalling cable being stolen in the Snake Valley area near Pretoria.

The thieves broke through the reserve fence and forced open a locked manhole cover early on Thursday morning.

However, train services between Sandton and the airport were not affected.

This was only the second incident of cable theft in the past three years which has caused train delays.

"In 2012 we implemented significantly increased security measures in identified 'hot spot' areas. These include rapid-reaction motorbike patrols, dog units and additional guards," Braithwaite said.

"Since then numerous incidents of attempted theft have been foiled and some arrests have been made. Unfortunately, along with most other utilities, Gautrain does however remain a target."

Bombela called on the relevant authorities to intensify the battle against cable theft through the Second Hand Goods Act and increased crime intelligence.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Does the ANC have a strong enough case to get the MK Party disqualified from the elections?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Nope, they're pulling at straws
65% - 51 votes
Absolutely, MKP can’t cut corners
35% - 28 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.00
-0.3%
Rand - Pound
24.11
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.61
-0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.38
+0.4%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.6%
Platinum
901.60
-0.1%
Palladium
998.41
-0.8%
Gold
2,154.06
-0.3%
Silver
24.96
-0.3%
Brent Crude
86.89
+1.8%
Top 40
65,526
-1.1%
All Share
71,751
-0.9%
Resource 10
52,809
-1.0%
Industrial 25
99,160
-1.3%
Financial 15
16,511
-0.7%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE