Chaos on Twitter, Cape Town Station as Metrorail trains delayed [update]

It’s not a good day to travel by train if you’re in Cape Town, as Metrorail — the city’s commuter rail service — has announced delays on all lines of up to an hour.

Earlier today, the company also tweeted that no trains are leaving Cape Town Station — effectively the heart of the city’s commuter rail service — ultimately rendering the service suspended. This didn’t sit well with Twitter.

Metrorail is currently involved in a workers’ strike, with additional damages stemming from trains set alight at Cape Town and other stations this week.

Regardless of the company’s woes, its commuters on social media — especially those waiting in line for trains that aren’t moving — are more than a little annoyed.

Have a look at some of the tweets below.

Trains were again set alight on the evening of 15 April:

Dark plume of smoke over @CapeTown due to train carriages set alight. #Metrorail (pic via @ewnreporter) pic.twitter.com/TPfNJXfCae

— VWS Wildfires (@vwsfires) April 15, 2016

Cape Town – #MetroRail #TrainFire Another train set on fire, in the central Cape Town area pic.twitter.com/bqUAsw0LNY

— Rob Byrne (@TrafficSA) April 15, 2016

#Firefighters battle blazing train, Woodstock. #Metrorail: we ‘under siege’. Pic @walkerworldwide @CapeTownTrains pic.twitter.com/Dbfcf75R3M

— The Weekend Argus (@TheWeekendArgus) April 15, 2016

I hope this is not more trains up in flames #Metrorail @CapeTownTrains #cttraffic pic.twitter.com/YhzitFnBqz

— Nicci B (@niccibphoto) April 15, 2016

Metrorail’s explanation for today’s service issues:

#ServiceAlert Note Media Statement : Region under seige pic.twitter.com/OZpdkI0pz5

— Metrorail W/Cape (@CapeTownTrains) April 15, 2016

The resultant angry tweets:

@CapeTownTrains this is unforgivable your fees go up but your service goes down 2 diabolical. #CapeTown time 2 boycott paying for rubbish

— Craig Jenkins (@craigjsa) April 15, 2016

Metrorail @CapeTownTrains asking passengers to use alternative transport as no trains running from Cape Town Station at the moment.

— Colin Cullis (@colincullis) April 15, 2016

@CapeTownTrains your own doing negotiate with strikers and end the madness #Metrorail @dipuopeters

— Sgaqa (@Sgaqa2) April 15, 2016

There are also reports of commuters jumping out of trains as well, and this:

1/1 So a man was hit by a train along the Retreat route today. He is said to have been trying to jump off a stationary @CapeTownTrains 😣😣.

— Jerry Chifamba (@JayCee240) April 15, 2016

2/2 @CapeTownTrains your service is bad, we have accepted to live with it. Could you try to improve your communication with commuters qha.

— Jerry Chifamba (@JayCee240) April 15, 2016

3/3 @CapeTownTrains I hope my tweets make a difference. I’m one of those who don’t believe in burning trains to get listened to. 🐸🐸

— Jerry Chifamba (@JayCee240) April 15, 2016

And the images of the various stations in disarray:

#FishHoekTrainStation #SouthernLine 20min ago – no trains
Photo by @KaelaCarver01
cc @CapeTownTrains @CapeTalk pic.twitter.com/N1IoVBkHTt

— Charmian (@wh_charms) April 15, 2016

Protest action at Cape Town station while frustrated commuters face long train delays. @CapeTownTrains pic.twitter.com/4u8jlGwA6y

— Percivale Young (@Percyoung) April 15, 2016

@CapeTalk @CapeTownTrains pic.twitter.com/Ktvu3YsP6b

— dalenatheron (@dalenatheron) April 15, 2016

@earlseptember @CapeTownTrains i get that & appreciate but we must look at the impact this has and fix it pic.twitter.com/15P3qblyky

— Akhona (@Akhona_Mbenyana) April 15, 2016

If you happen to have any additional images, comments or tweets, feel free to comment below, or tweet us directly at @memeburn.

Looking for more information?

Be sure to follow the up-to-the-minute Twitter timeline below, or contact @CapeTownTrains for more information. If you’re still left stranded, GoMetro’s commuter-sourced updates may help, as well as

Tweets about @capetowntrains