The Gauteng Department of Transport says it's working hard to fast-track the assessment of a Gautrain tunnel that was damaged by illegal drilling by a private property above the tunnel in Rosebank, Johannesburg. Transport MEC, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, said they are doing their best to ensure that services are speedily restored after repairs to the damaged portion of the tunnel.

ILLEGAL DRILLING

MEC Diale-Tlabela said preliminary investigations have confirmed that the property owner did not go through any channels to seek permission to drill a borehole. "This has caused water and soil to seep into the tunnel. Once engineers have finalised solutions to address the damages, trains will be able to operate fully. Unfortunately, for now, we cannot operate the service further than where the damage is. The Gautrain apologises for the inconvenience caused by this disruption and hereby commits to keep our customers updated as more information becomes available. It's an inconvenience, but we trust that they will come up with a solution quickly and as soon as possible, the trains will operate fully to their destinations."

ADDITIONAL BUSES PROVIDED

Gautrain spokesperson Albi Modise confirmed the addition of their buses as an alternative to the trains. "Ensuring the safety of passengers remains our primary focus while the repairs are taking place. A bus replacement service has been set up between Rosebank and Park station. Buses will run every 15 minutes between the two stations from 05:30 to 20:30 as a contingency measure."