The Gautrain rapid rail project has already been under construction for close to three years, with 10 500 people working on around 50 sites dotted across Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.
Construction on the project started at the end of September 2006.
The 45-month first phase comprises the network between OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton, and includes the stations at OR Tambo International Airport, Rhodesfield, Marlboro and Sandton, together with the depot and operations control centre located near Allandale road, in Midrand.
The second phase, which is being constructed concurrently, will be completed in 54 months, taking the project to 2011. It includes the remainder of the rail network and stations linking Sandton and Park station, in Johannesburg, and the route from Midrand to Hatfield, in Pretoria.
The rail project is being constructed by the Bombela consortium, which will also operate it for a 15-year concession period.
There remains only a little bit more than ten months of the contracted 45-month period to complete the first phase of the R25,4-billion project.
Around 3 km of twin track has already been installed on the airport line, which features 11 bridges and three viaducts, or specialised train bridges.
This portion of the route is aimed largely at tourists and business travellers in need of public transport between Sandton and the airport.
The Gautrain, with a top speed of 160 km/h, will offer a 15-minute commute between these two stations.
The trains plying the airport link will feature two coaches for sitting airport passengers, with room for luggage, and two to six general passenger coaches for sitting and standing passengers.
These general commuter coaches on the airport link will not be accessible to airport passengers. Therefore, daily commuters using the general passenger service will be able to embark or disembark only at Rhodesfield, Marlboro or Sandton stations.
Airport passengers will be able to embark and disembark only at Sandton, or at the airport.
This means passengers travelling in the special airport cars will notice that doors will remain closed at the intermediate stations at Rhodesfield and Marlboro.
All stations, apart from the airport station – as the assumption is that it services flying customers – will have a dedicated Gautrain bus service ferrying commuters within a 15-km radius to and from stations.
Sandton Station
The first station along the airport route is Sandton station, located between West street and Fifth avenue.
This station will be 45 m underground, and work is continuing in three shifts, 24 hours a day, to complete this anchor station.
Underground station construction works are ongoing in the cavern section between the south and north shafts, as well as within the shafts themselves.
These works include the base slabs for the tracks, construction of the various platforms and the various technical rooms, and access ways that are located within the shafts.
Construction of the station’s three-level underground parkade continues.
The station will also feature a drop-off facility, as well as bicycle storage.
During peak hours, Gautrain-branded buses will ferry passengers to and from the station every 12 minutes.
There will be a train every five minutes during peak periods, and every 20 minutes during off-peak periods. On weekends and public holidays, there will be a train every 30 minutes.
The entire Gautrain system will feature 650 closed-circuit television cameras, with security guards to maintain a visible presence at stations and inside trains.
Rhodesfield Station
The Rhodesfield station is situated immed-iately to the south of the Kempton Park central business district, and close to the R21 freeway.
Station platforms are elevated and located around one-third along viaduct 15, which is directly above the existing Metrorail railway lines, running between Isando and Kempton Park.
The station entrance, concourse and parking area are located at ground level. There are 1 400 parking bays at the station, with provision made for bicycle storage as well.
A new Metrorail station is being constructed and linked to the Gautrain station at Rhodesfield, to extend the catchment area of the Gautrain.
While Sandton is already a high-density precinct, development of this kind is still in its infancy in Rhodesfield.
Several residential properties have already been sold to commercial developers.
The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality has received several applications for com- mercial developments, including three hotels, in the Rhodesfield area.
The first hotel is already being built close to Rhodesfield station.
Another development is a R600-million mixed-use development proposed for the remaining residential erven next to the station.
Marlboro Station
Marlboro station is adjacent to the N3 Marlboro drive interchange.
It is located close to the Linbro Business Park, with a multibillion-rand mixed-use development called Frankenwald Estate planned, which will feature a dedicated pedestrian link to the station.
The Marlboro parking area will accom- modate 1 200 cars at a time, also offering bicycle storage and drop-off facilities.
Around 300 t of steel has been used in the construction of the station to date.
Around 100 people are working on site at the moment.
Tracklaying has already started.
OR Tambo International Airport Station
This elevated station has platforms situated on a viaduct. The station concourse is linked directly to the departures level of the adjacent new central terminal building, one level below.
This station is the first to feature fare gates and electronic ticket vending machines.
The Gautrain system is a closed one, with only people with a valid ticket able to get onto the platform.
Passengers will be able to buy preloaded smart-cards for train and/or bus trips at the self-help ticket vending machines, or at a manned ticket office.
Ticket products can be loaded onto the smart-card using cash, a debit card or a credit card.
Contactless technology means smart cards will be scanned electronically when they are swiped at the access readers on the fare gates.
All stations will have electronic display systems providing information on train arrival and departure times.
The OR Tambo International Airport station will not have a dedicated parking area, as it caters for airline passengers.
The Trains
Of the 96 rail cars, or 24 train sets, to be used in the system, six sets are already undergoing testing at the depot, says Gautrain Management Agency CEO Jack van der Merwe.
The allocated 15 Electrostar cars to be delivered from Bombardier’s facility in Derby, in the UK, have already arrived in Gauteng, with the remainder to now flow from Union Carriage & Wagon Partnership, in Nigel.
“They have already reached full production, assembling two cars a week,” says Van der Merwe.
Dynamic testing is being conducted on a 7-km test track between Dale road and Linbro Park. Each train has to run for 3 000 km before it can be certified to carry passengers.
Around 32 km of track has already been laid.
Now, Will It or Won’t It Be Ready for the World Cup?
The year 2010 is more than just another year on the South African calendar. It is the year in which the country will host the FIFA World Cup.
The question on nearly everybody’s lips is whether the project will be ready for the event, which kicks off on June 11. In a country which lacks predictable and safe public transport, such as is the norm in Europe and the US, the Gautrain has been proffered as the ideal solution for carrying the thousands of tourists expected to land at OR Tambo International Airport, heading for Sandton hotels in 2010.
However, Bombela is only contractually scheduled to complete the project at the end of June.
Van der Merwe notes that a decision will now have to be made on whether phase one of the project needs a cash injection to be finished in May – in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Van der Merwe says the two-phased rail project has, indeed, never been a 2010 project. The project was announced in 2000, with the FIFA World Cup awarded only in 2004.
However, he adds that there is a “need and desire” from government to finish phase one of the project in time for the global sports event.
“We are talking to the concessionaire to accelerate the project,” says Van der Merwe.
“Depending on negotiations and cost implications, we’ll have to see if we’ll pay to have it ready.”
He says that he has been hopeful to make an announcement on a possible fast-track of the project in July, but that he is now targeting August or, at the very least, the next three months.
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