Scores of motorists were left stranded yesterday morning after a Harare-bound passenger train broke down at the level crossing at Grasslands in Marondera, blocking the road.

BY Jairos Saunyama

As a result, motorists had to use either the Chitungwiza route or Mukuti Road before the train was pulled off the scene three hours later. National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) spokesperson, Nyasha Maravanyika confirmed the incident.

“A locomotive developed a fault while at the level crossing and that was around 4am. However, at about 6:35am, our rescue team from Harare sent another locomotive to replace the faulty one. It was just a routine loco failure. The passenger train was from Mutare. Usually, if a locomotive fails, there is nothing to do, we dispatch another one as a way to arrest the problem,” he said.