Jacob Beute, engineer, Muizenberg
I often walk the Muizenberg/St James sea walk and I observe a lack of “founding stability” for the Muizenberg to Kalk Bay bound railway track on the sea’s side.
Lately some light fencing stakes were hammered alongside the track (on the sea side) to hold back the stone infill (and possible subsidence?). This was done in certain areas where there is minimal stone/rock/boulder lateral support, and I have noticed that the same was recently done in the Dalebrook area.
Rather than hammer a couple of stakes, should the approximately 3-metre wide width between the track and the St James sea walk retainer not be filled in completely with stone/rock/boulders to adequately support the track?
Most of the areas, say 70%, have already been solidly filled in to hold back the track. However, the approximately 30% remaining is still wanting with little lateral founding boulder/rock support. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
For the sake and safety of the public and train commuters, I ask that the railway authorities see to this long-standing lack of track support to prevent a possible catastrophe.
• Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) spokesperson Zinobulali Mihi responds: We would like to thank the sender for raising concern.
First of all, we are aware of the issues raised. We are working on a specification which we will go out to market to procure the services of a contractor to assist us in rebuilding the bank cuttings and seawalls on the coastal side of the region.
The plan is to have the project take effect within this year to mitigate against all the risks that are posed by the ballast lost through the hole in the embankment. The section track inspector and his patrolmen carry out inspections on that entire line on a weekly basis.
A thorough inspection was done by the whole team of engineers and engineering technicians recently. We have also undertaken an inventory of exactly what is required on the entire line right up to Simon’s Town.
We are aware of what is happening on our rail network and are hard at work to try and resolve any and all issues that we have in the corridor under discussion.