Gautrain services between Park and Rosebank Stations have been disrupted due to water and soil seeping into the tunnel section of the system, according to a statement from the Gautrain Management Agency.

"The Gautrain wishes to inform its valued customers of a disruption to its services between Park and Rosebank Stations. This disruption is due to water and soil seeping into the tunnel section of the System," the statement said.

The Gautrain is an 80-kilometre higher-speed commuter rail network in Gauteng, South Africa that links Johannesburg, Pretoria, Kempton Park and OR Tambo International Airport.

Parts of the rail system runs below ground in tunnels, while the rest of the network runs above ground.

"Our investigation has established that there was an illegal drilling activity on a private property located above the tunnel," the statement said.

"This activity was not approved in accordance with the requirements of the Gauteng Transport Infrastructure Act (GTIA). This illegal activity therefore caused the ingress of water and soil into the tunnel that impacts our ability to operate the system between these two stations."

To mitigate the inconvenience to passengers, a Gautrain bus replacement service has been set up between Park and Rosebank Stations. The bus service will be increased to accommodate extra passengers as necessary.

The statement said: "We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding as we continue our investigations to identify the owners of the private property where the drilling is suspected to have occurred, as well as the remedial measures that will be implemented to enable the restoration of the full Gautrain services."

"The Gautrain apologises for the inconvenience caused by this disruption and hereby commits to keep our customers updated as more information becomes available."

IOL