The Star reports that the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) has blamed a traffic control officer for last week’s Selby Metrorail train accident, but the United National Transport Union (Untu) has rubbished the claim.  

Last week, two trains collided at Booysens Station, injuring 112 passengers.  According to the regulator’s preliminary findings, the traffic control officer issued manual authorisation to the train headed from Faraday to Naledi to pass and proceed to Crown Station.  Minutes later, the officer authorised another train on to the same line.  RSR spokesperson Madelein Williams said:  “The regulator has in the past instructed Prasa (the Passenger Rail Agency of SA) to provide sufficient supervision to traffic control officers and to provide proper control and approval of manual authorisation.”  Untu responded that it was shocked and disappointed by the regulator’s conclusion.  Steve Harris, general secretary of Untu, said the regulator and Prasa must admit “they don’t have the expertise, management skills or supporting infrastructure to use manual train authorisations”.

• A short report by Tebogo Monama is at The Star

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