TransNamib still probing ‘reverse’ locomotive incident
Six weeks after one of its locomotives travelled 150 kilometres in reverse with no one on board, TransNamib says it is still investigating what led to the incident many described as ‘weird’.
The incident - which led to the forced application of an emergency brake, resulting in damage to 10 trailers - took place on Friday, 24 May, when a TransNamib locomotive with over 20 trailers was stationed at Oshivelo.
TransNamib officials drove alongside the train, but could not stop it. A call was eventually made to apply the emergency brake, which resulted in a collision at Ondangwa’s Omashaka area, where officials managed to bring the locomotive and its trailers to a standstill.
At the time, it was reported that the driver and the assistant were inspecting a problem outside the train when it started to move in reverse.
Unable to speculate
When contacted for comment, TransNamib spokesperson Abigail Raubenheimer yesterday told Namibian Sun that the investigation is still ongoing and the company will only pronounce itself when it has been completed.
“The investigation is still underway. We prioritise the thoroughness of our investigation process due to the critical nature of our operations,” she said.
“As outlined in our policy, TransNamib is required to follow established detailed procedures for all incident investigations. It's imperative that we complete this process before providing definitive information regarding the cause of the derailment. Therefore, until such time that the investigation has been finalised, we are unable to speculate as to the cause of the accident.”
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The incident - which led to the forced application of an emergency brake, resulting in damage to 10 trailers - took place on Friday, 24 May, when a TransNamib locomotive with over 20 trailers was stationed at Oshivelo.
TransNamib officials drove alongside the train, but could not stop it. A call was eventually made to apply the emergency brake, which resulted in a collision at Ondangwa’s Omashaka area, where officials managed to bring the locomotive and its trailers to a standstill.
At the time, it was reported that the driver and the assistant were inspecting a problem outside the train when it started to move in reverse.
Unable to speculate
When contacted for comment, TransNamib spokesperson Abigail Raubenheimer yesterday told Namibian Sun that the investigation is still ongoing and the company will only pronounce itself when it has been completed.
“The investigation is still underway. We prioritise the thoroughness of our investigation process due to the critical nature of our operations,” she said.
“As outlined in our policy, TransNamib is required to follow established detailed procedures for all incident investigations. It's imperative that we complete this process before providing definitive information regarding the cause of the derailment. Therefore, until such time that the investigation has been finalised, we are unable to speculate as to the cause of the accident.”
[email protected]
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