Crash: 'Human error' possible
2005-10-28 06:06
Johannesburg - Investigators were late on Thursday evening still searching the wreckage for clues as to how the Shosoloza Meyl ended op on the same track as the Blue Train.
It was still unclear why the tracks weren't changed to prevent the trains from being on the same tracks.
Chris de Vos, chief secretary of the transport workers union Utata said on Thursday the union had been informed that the accident had occurred as the result of a malfunctioning signal system.
"It seemed as if there was something amiss with the system. Unfortunately there is no way of eliminating human error should signal problems occur. When the signalling system is faulty, train drivers should telephonically or via radio obtain permission to use a certain track. That is where human error comes into play," De Vos said.
About 80% of train accidents occurred during "abnormal working conditions". "Spoornet should immediately step in when such conditions occur to ensure there is back-up in order not to depend on human judgment alone," he said.
"South Africa has a good rail safety record. Two weeks ago it was revealed at a railway convention that other countries experienced similar problems," he said.