Transport Ministry urges Railway Safety Regulator to speed up probe into cause of train derailment near Paarl

CAPE TOWN - The Transport Ministry has urged the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) to fast-track their investigation to determine the cause of a train derailment near Paarl.

The Metrorail train was travelling from Cape Town to Wellington Station, when two coaches derailed at Dal Josafat Station.

The incident happed during peak travel time on Tuesday afternoon.

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The Department of Transport on Wednesday said the RSR had indicated that a preliminary report would be ready within 48 hours.

The ministry has stressed passenger safety across the transport system remains their number one priority.

Twenty-five passengers sustained injuries when the incident occurred at Dal Josafat Station on Tuesday.

Emergency services were on site to assist the injured commuters, who were taken by ambulance to various hospitals in the vicinity.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Western Cape is calling on the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) and Transnet to conduct a full safety inspection of all rail infrastructure in the province.