Faulty brakes in the railway tamping machine caused the train incident on Saturday evening in Pretoria which left 57 people injured, with 14 needing thorough medical care.
A tamping machine or ballast tamper is a machine used to pack the track ballast under railway tracks to make the tracks more durable.
A passenger train readying to leave Eerste Fabriek train station in Mamelodi, crashed into the reversing tamping machine.
Passenger Rail Agency South Africa (Prasa) said on Monday, that an early observation indicated that faulty brakes led to the machine to reverse, crashing into the passenger train.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula released the preliminary findings in Pretoria.
“The Transnet tamping machine failed at Greenview station and lost its brakes causing it to accelerate on the tracks towards the Eerste Fabriek station where it collided with a stationery Prasa train. Communication between the crew of the tamping machine and the centralised train control centre failed. The report further notes that the signalling system between the Eerste Fabrie and Pienaarspoort has not been functional for approximately two years. “
The Department of Transport Presser by Minister @MbalulaFikile on Rail Safety Regular Report on train collision. #MbalulaInspection pic.twitter.com/gFKMt4yVB9
— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) June 5, 2019
