Rail Tolling by Trainman

[John Ashworth]

Nathan's latest offering, inspired by the installation of e-tolls on the main highways between Jo'burg and Pretoria:

Rail Tolling system to be installed

With the current road tolling exercises happening on most major roads in Gauteng to generate much needed income from the cash strapped motorists, now the State is working on a similar project to toll the rails.

Train and coach counters are to be installed on overhead catenary between stations, and at each station, will be a Toll Booth with attendant to collect the fares for the sections travelled. Passengers will be scanned by this overhead device and defaulters will be subject to an AC shock .

Footplate crews are to get a rebate and the Conductor will attach the transcript to his journal to be handed in at the nearest MetroTollRail (METOR) offices.

Freight trains will fall under another category whilst foreign rolling stock from neighbouring states, will be exempted as it will be too costly to collect the revenue, so the rolling stock will be impounded and sold as useful scrap at the next auction, as local wagons are getting in short supply.

Light locomotives and runaway vehicles will be on a lower tariff scale.

To alleviate the possibility of theft or damage to the RailToll (RAT) system, it will be dieselised to avoid power outages and at present an illegal tender is being issued and accepted for China Rail Plastic Producers (CRAPP), for a billion mini diesel motors for the system.

RailToll Security (RATS) personnel will be patrolling certain areas to apprehend footplate crews and fare defaulting passengers and have the approval and authority to stop any train and demand to see the Toll Tag system At present Express Trains and Fast Freight are exceptions as are any trains moving at speeds over 50 kph

The system is not without faults and flaws, but should be up and tracking in the near future. One of the major problems is that the passengers are putting up resistance and mass movement to road transport has been noted recently, with most trains now running empty. Instances have been noted of Driverless Trains as Footplate crews try to avoid the tolls.

A Railway informer has hinted that disused branch lines will be tolled for anyone walking on them.

This report taken from Trainmancompta

[Steve Appleton]

Do we all need to get RailweeTags now? And, is that why they fitted those little rectangular grey transducer thingies to the side-frame of all TFR rolling stock?

Will FOTR get out of Hermanstad more quickly now if we pay the toll?

This all must be true because I have checked my calendar and it's definately not April 1st.

[John Ashworth]

When I drive a rental car along the R24 I notice that it beeps every time it goes under the toll detector thingies. Will our train now beep regularly en route to Cullinan?

[M. Hardy-Randall]

Just a thought. What happens if the train fails and has to set back into the station? Do the detectors register a credit or hit you again with a charge?

[Nathan Berelowitz]

There are still problem areas that have to be looked at. At present the Shunters are preparing to stage a slow couple to all trains and Footplate staff are on a drive slow protest. Passengers have been complaining of the express trains taking a full day to cover the Capital City to Johannesburg routes, whilst commuter passengers have taken to the roads.
Roof top surfers are having a poor time of it and have lodged a complaint, however, they are using this period to train newcomers to the art of the roof surf!