TRANSNET, South Africa, has suspended operation of the iconic Blue Train luxury passenger service following recent derailments and a fire.
The rolling stock will undergo a thorough technical assessment with the aim of it returning to service as soon as possible.
“The safety of guests and crew onboard the train remains a top priority, and will not be comprised,” Transnet said in a statement on February 14. There is no date for its return to traffic.
The latest incident occurred when a fire broke out in a coach of the train, while the train was undergoing repairs at Transnet’s Koedoespoort engineering facility in the early hours of February 8. Three people were reported to have fled the scene. One person was apprehended by the company’s security personnel and handed over to police.
The coach in question had been undergoing repairs following a derailment in Germiston last November. Transnet said the investigation into the cause of that derailment was almost complete and it has not been impacted by the fire.
