Gautrain: More routes mooted

[Steve Appleton]

From Business Day, 3 August 2011: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/C ... ?id=149797

More routes mooted as Gautrain rolls.
Gauteng wants to extend the reach of the Gautrain rapid rail network beyond its current 80km route.

NICKY SMITH
Published: 2011/08/03 07:00:04 AM

GAUTENG wants to extend the reach of the Gautrain rapid rail network beyond its current 80km route, the province’s roads and transport MEC, Ismail Vadi, said yesterday. "In principle I am committed to seeing its extension; we want greater access to public transport in the province," he said after the launch of the service between Pretoria and Johannesburg. Expansion of the network could include extension to the west of Johannesburg towards Klerksdorp and Rustenburg, and to the south, which may include Soweto’s Naledi station and further on to the cities of Vereeniging and Sasolburg, Mr Vadi said.

Work has already started on extending the platform at the OR Tambo International Airport station to accommodate a full four-wagon train, from the two wagons that are now available, Gautrain Management Agency CEO Jack van der Merwe said. The agency was likely to seek bids for the contract at the beginning of next year, he said. The expansion would be done to accommodate growing demand for the service to the airport.

Since the introduction of the service between Sandton and the airport in June last year, the train has carried about 3-million passengers, said Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele.

There are 10 stations on the route and provision has been made for building four more, most of them linked to large property development projects. A station substructure has been constructed in the Heartlands property development. The link to the airport cuts across land belonging to AECI, the chemicals and explosives company. AECI is to build a new township of about 26000 units.

The next station is on the line between Buccleuch and Allandale, Mr van der Merwe said. "The Mia family have a massive development there, where they have approved 22000 housing units," he said. "We have chosen a site for a station that is close to the depot at Midrand. We will activate that station when the Mia development creates enough demand for ridership," he said.

A third station will be built between the SA Mint, which is visible from the Ben Schoeman highway, and Centurion.

"The last station we have developed is Hatfield station extension that will have a massive park and ride station," he said.

A direct route from Pretoria to OR Tambo International Airport is also being considered. A loop of roughly 7km that goes past Linbro Park after leaving the Midrand station has been designed.

Mr van der Merwe said the Moloto Corridor Project, which is being considered to link Siyabuswa, near Marble Hall, with Pretoria, may be operated or managed by the agency. This standard gauge rail project will cover a distance of 130km. The R12bn project would take about 45000 commuters off the roads daily.

Fitting the project into the Gautrain Management Agency may offer economies of scale, Mr van der Merwe said, as both projects will be operated on a standard gauge.