Cape Chamber of Commerce : Metrorail arson attack planned

Oscar Thomas
30 October 2014

The Cape Chamber of Commerce says the recent arson attack on several train carriages in Salt River over the weekend was a planned move against Metrorail and its commuters. 

This year alone a total of 35 carriages in eight incidents have either been lost or damaged as a result of fire or arson.

Over the weekend 19 train carriages were torched at the Salt River depot.

The chamber's President Janine Myburgh said a suspect arrested after 19 train coaches were torched at a Metrorail depot at the weekend is expected to appear in court this week.

Myburgh said they believe this was a planned act.

Meanwhile police have arrested one suspect for the incident over the weekend. 

However Myburgh says the immediate challenge was for the crime intelligence services to pin point the real culprits.

Meanwhile the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa said over the past three years it has lost more than R380 million to vandalism and arson attacks in the province. 

Myburgh said the vital question we must now ask is about the motive for the attack and who or what organisations are behind it.

Myburgh said at this stage what we need is information and I appeal to anybody who might know something to contact the police, the metro police, or even the chamber if they would like to remain anonymous.

“We will pass the information on to the authorities and monitor progress Myburgh added.