The luxury Blue Train will return to service after it has undergone a thorough technical assessment, according to Transnet spokesperson, Ayanda Shezi.

A specific date for restarting operations has not yet been set. “We would like to apologise to guests who have booked trips, for the inconvenience that this has caused,” Shezi said.

This follows an announcement yesterday (Monday, February 14) by Transnet – the state-owned entity that manages the luxury train – that travel had been suspended due to recent “unfortunate incidents”.

The incidents referred to could include the derailment of an empty coach at Union Station Loop in Germiston in November last year.

And last week, a fire broke out in one of the Blue Train’s coaches while it was in for repairs at the company’s engineering facility in Koedoespoort near Pretoria.

According to Shezi, three people were seen fleeing the scene. One was apprehended by Transnet security personnel and handed over to the police. Two other people are still at large.

The coach in question had been taken to Koedoespoort for repairs after being involved in the derailment last November.

Shezi said: “Transnet has almost completed the investigation into the cause of the November derailment and, as such, this incident will not impact the investigation. A further investigation has been launched into the fire incident.”

There has been speculation on social media that poor rail infrastructure and copper theft had been to blame for the Blue Train – and other trains – suspending operations.

In response to trade queries, Rohan Vos, owner of the luxury train company, Rovos Rail, noted on the Tourism Recovery WhatsApp group that while the company did not run trains in January – due to the impact of the Omicron variant – it had restarted routes at the beginning of February.

“There are certainly delay challenges, mostly as a result of copper theft, but we have added more buffer time to schedules to absorb these inconveniences,” he said.