Trains:
Trains operate on heavy current 3KV
electricity off a direct Eskom feed.
As a declared priority user, Metrorail has
Eskom’s commitment that this supply will only be cut as a last resort.
Stations & signals:
Station and signal power supply in
municipal areas operate off a light current municipal power supply and will be
affected by load shedding.
The following contingency plans are in place during power outages:
Tickets will
be sold from portable ticket issuing machines;
Local
station announcements will be made by loud hailers;
Manual
authorisation will allow trains to proceed.
Alternative transport during delays
Once a train has developed technical
problems, technicians evaluate whether the train can be repaired on-site or are
alternative arrangements required. Where at all possible during extended
delays, Metrorail will arrange buses. More often it is quicker to fix the train
that to order buses from different areas to assist.
The efficiency of buses as alternative transport during peak hours is
compromised by:
Prevailing (peak hour) traffic conditions:
external bus
operators’ limited capacity to assist;
the number
of stations to be served.
External bus companies are generally
contracted to transport learners to school during peak hours and very few, if
any, are able to spare more than a few buses during peak hours due to their
other contractual commitments.
Although a small fleet of in-house buses
(18 maximum) are strategically placed on standby as contingency, there is not
sufficient capacity to assist everywhere at once.
A single bus is permitted to
transport 52 – 57 seated passengers; a single train may have 800 – 2000
passengers on board so at least 15 – 20 buses are required to assist every full
train.
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