Metrorail is at it again.

Train from Thembisa stuck in the middle of nowhere

Four over three and half weeks metro rail passenger from Pretoria and Thembisa were subjected to the worse form of unreliability from Metrorail trains. Not that they are normally reliable, but this time it has reached the crises proportion, but PRASA is yet to acknowledge that.

In early January two Transformers near Kalfontein station were hit by lightning and for that week there were no trains between Kempton park and the northern parts of Gauteng including Pretoria. Passengers were left reeling after they hasd used their last monies to buy monthly tickets. All Metrorail could offer was apologies. No refunds, no alternatives transport. That was not the end but the beginning of  trouble for commuters. Three /four weeks later it has become normal to see passengers running along the rail because their train is stuck in the middle of nowhere.

I use a train called Tshwane business express this is supposedly the best alternative to driving. But unfortunately it is not immune to Metrorail’s foolhardiness. As we were going home on Wednesday the trains were all running late including ours? We saw hundreds of people walking along the rail and I new they must have disembark from a stuck train somewhere. Our train make announcement when there will be a delay, but this time they just kept quiet.

Their stupidity came to bear when we approached Pretoria just 5minutes away from the station we got stuck. 20 minutes later they decided we to go back and change tracks really did that had to take 20 minutes to think about? Especially if when there was no train coming out of Pretoria. I normally arrive at home around 18h30 but on Wednesday I arrived at 19h30 exactly an hour later.

I have my car to use as an alternative, but that will defeat the purpose of buying a monthly ticket. I will take this pain on my chin never to return in the coming months. Gautrain here I come.