Cable theft adds to Spoornet woes

Severe disruption to Natal Corridor Leonard Neill SPOORNET'S TECHNICAL services in KwazuluNatal are working around the clock in a desperate effort to restore the rail line services at the Shallcross centralised control centre where damage caused by cable theft at the end of April seriously disrupted the entire main line service. "It has affected the freight delivery operations badly, and is hurting our income as a result," says Spoornet's Durban-based manager external relations Selby Dlamini. Damage to the system is estimated between R1,5million and R2million. The signal relay room at Shallcross and approximately 10km of signal cable on both the up and down lines need to be repaired or replaced, with officials on the spot hoping this can be achieved by the end of this month. Thieves struck on April 30, digging open trenches at several places at the station itself. Inspection revealed that about 15m of signal cable were removed from these openings. While removing this cable, the thieves apparently found another cable in the same trenches. Attempts were made to cut through this cable, which proved to be a 3.0kv feeder cable which supplies power from the substation to the overheads. This action caused extensive damage to underground cables and equipment in the relay room, where cables and equipment were burnt out. "The impact on the train service on the Natal Corridor is catastrophic," says Dlamini, "and only a curtailed service has been possible. Normally 40 trains are moved in each direction daily but this disruption has resulted in only 26 trains being able to pass through on a daily basis. "We have had to give priority to Metrorail traffic because of the heavy demand from workers commuting to and from the region. Trains are now being manually authorised through the affected local sections, which involve Marianhill, Shallcross and Burlington. "Regrettably freight traffic has had to play second fiddle in the circumstances with the result that there has been considerable delay in railing goods between Durban port and City Deep. Hopefully everything will be restored to normal by the beginning of next month."