CONSTRUCTION and engineering group Murray & Roberts (M&R) has increased its stake in the Bombela Concession Company, which operates and maintains the Gautrain railway network in South Africa, to 50% by purchasing Bouygues Travaux Publics and Bombardier Transportation UK’s respective 8.5% stakes.
GAUTENG minister for roads and transport Dr Ismail Vadi announced on October 20 that three bidders have prequalified for a contract to supply 12 EMUs for the Gautrain standard-gauge commuter rail network, which links Johannesburg with OR Tambo International Airport and Pretoria.
Gautrain, South Africa's first standard-gauge railway, has confounded many of its critics by cutting journey times in the Pretoria and Johannesburg area and attracting a loyal ridership. Plans are now being drawn up to extend the network to cope with Johannesburg's rapidly-expanding population, as Paul Ash reports.
BOMBELA Concession Company, which operates and maintains South Africa's Gautrain commuter network, has issued a request for qualification for the design, manufacture, supply and maintenance of 12 four-car EMUs.
THE Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) says it will commence feasibility studies on 200km of proposed extensions to South Africa's Gautrain commuter network by the end of June.
THE government of Gauteng is evaluating options for the expansion of the Pretoria – Johannesburg Gautrain standard-gauge network as part of the South African province's 25-year Integrated Transport Master Plan (ITMP25), which seeks to prioritise public transport investment in the region.
THE Gautrain was billed as one of the most reliable modes of public transport in South Africa's Gauteng province when it began operating services in June 2010. However, the service is falling well short of its projected daily ridership figures of 100,000 passenger journeys per day.
A GAUTRAIN feeder loop line is being considered to connect the suburbs of Pretoria with the Gautrain line to Johannesburg and OR Tambo International Airport.
Substantial new investment in rolling stock and infrastructure is paving the way for a major overhaul of passenger operations in South Africa, as regional editor John Batwell explains.