Share

Power cuts strand SWC trains

Johannesburg - A power outage that crippled commuter trains stranded 2 000 World Cup fans until early Thursday morning after host South Africa's 3-0 defeat by Uruguay, train operators said.

Metrorail trains were forced to switch from electric to steam locomotives because of the power cut, delaying the last two trains by between two and three hours with the last fans only arriving at 03:30, said Tumisang Kgaboesele, head of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa.

"We are very concerned. We have already apologised to our customers," he told AFP.

Metrorail ferried 13 600 people to and from Pretoria's Loftus Versfeld stadium on Wednesday for the Group A match.

The government has urged fans to avoid road congestion by using public transport, which received a R40bn upgrade ahead of the tournament.

South Africa suffered national blackouts in January 2008 that raised alarms about the nation's ageing electricity system.

The 10 World Cup stadiums each have generators to ensure power supplies during matches.
 

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE