South Africa: Service on Cape Town's Central Line suspended

Event

An ongoing suspension of rail services on Cape Town's Central Line is to remain in effect until at least Saturday, January 20, while authorities investigate security conditions after vandalism and other criminal activity on the line. The Metrorail commuter train operator announced that the extended suspension is due to a train derailment between the Heideveld and Netreg stations that occurred on the evening of Wednesday, January 17. According to transportation officials, the derailment, which affected an empty train on a test run, was caused by extensive vandalism to the tracks as well as to two electrical relay stations.

Context

On Wednesday, January 10, Metrorail temporarily suspended service on the Central Line, following the fatal shooting of a security guard at Khayelitsha station. Service was initially set to resume on Thursday, January 18.

Advice

Individuals in Cape Town are advised to monitor local news for updates, to verify the service status of the Central Line prior to travel, and to seek out alternative means of transportation as necessary.