Construction of the Gautrain rapid train, which will link Pretoria and Johannesburg, is due to begin next June. It is expected to begin operating in five years’ time.
Construction of the Gautrain rapid train, which will link Pretoria and Johannesburg, is due to begin next June. It is expected to begin operating in five years’ time.
reports that the Gauteng government should have received all the tenders by the end of September, with the winning bidder to be announced in January. Gauteng finance and economic affairs MEC Jabu Moleketi says the winning bidder is expected to begin work on the 12-station track a few months after the announcement. However, the constructor will decide which route will be rolled out first.
The project is expected to create about 43 000 jobs during the construction phase, while security includes closed circuit cameras on the railways. The business activities related to construction are estimated at around R3,6-billion per year, resulting in an increase of between 0,7 and one per cent in the province’s economic growth over the implementation phase.
The state-of-the-art train is aimed at linking Johannesburg and Pretoria in less than 35 minutes and at speeds of 160 km/h or higher. The minimum frequency between Johannesburg and Pretoria will initially be six trains per hour per direction and more trains will be operated as the number of passengers using the system increases.
Moleketi said the train would not only clear the road congestion, but would cut down on air pollution as many motorists would opt for the train. It is believed that three million cars drive on the M1 between Johannesburg south and Pretoria east during peak hours, while about 400 000 cars pass along that highway each hour at very low speeds.
Will the Gautrain solve traffic congestion problems?