Metrorail and load shedding

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.