However, here is a reminder of promises made in 2011 that the infrastructure upgrade on this route would be completed by 2015, a project that has been stilled for several years now. The track may have been doubled but the second track is not in use. The signalling is dark and incomplete, the new Greenview station is incomplete and unused, the upgrades to Mamelodi Gardens station have stalled - only one platform has been finished. Single-line pilot-working has been in effect since the start of the project and is still in place between Eerste Fabrieke and Pienaarsport stations leading to frequent delays to trains including FOTR's Cullinan train.THE Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has begun procurement of construction work to modernise rail infrastructure for the arrival of 600 trains purchased in a R59bn deal with Gibela Rail Transport Consortium.
The procurement is part of Prasa’s R172bn modernisation programme to overhaul the aged urban Metrorail commuter service and will include modernising signalling and rail tracks, as well as station upgrades.
Prasa has 135 stations in the country that will be modernised for the new trains.
Last week, Prasa revealed that more than R30bn of the R59bn contract with Gibela had been set aside for domestic suppliers.
Gibela is a special purpose vehicle for the deal, which is 61%-owned by French power and transport giant Alstom. Empowerment partners own the remaining 39%.
Prasa also has a separate R5bn contract for 70 locomotives from Swifambo Rail Leasing, which is buying the stock from Vossloh España. The locomotives are for the long-distance Shosholoza Meyl service.
Last year, media reports said the locos were "too tall" for SA’s rail lines. Prasa has since applied to the High Court in Johannesburg to have the contract set aside.
On Monday, Prasa’s business readiness manager for modernisation in Gauteng, Abram Nkgabutle, said work had been done to lift station platforms to match the Gibela train level at three stations in Gauteng including Park Station and Mamelodi Station.
Tenders for work to align platforms at 10 other stations on the priority line between Mamelodi and Pretoria were still being advertised. The priority line is where the first trains will run.
Mr Nkgabutle said aligning platforms was one of various construction projects that would run across the country to prepare the existing infrastructure for the new trains.
The trains are expected to begin commercial service in October. Prasa expects to take delivery of 11 trains before the end of this year.
Mr Nkgabutle said the Mamelodi-Pretoria corridor would also be the first to run only the new Gibela trains, about three months after the first train goes into commercial operation in October.
Rail Safety Regulator (RSR) spokeswoman Babalwa Mpendu said Prasa had submitted a report to the RSR seeking approval to test the train on the Metrorail rail line. The report dealt with the state of the infrastructure where tests would take place.
http://www.railway-technology.com/news/ ... -rail-line
17 October 2011
The passenger rail agency of South Africa (PRASA) has invested R373m ($47.3m) to improve services between Mamelodi and Pretoria.
The project includes the doubling of 4.5km rail tracks between Eerste Fabrieke and Greenview, an upgrade of the Mamelodi Gardens and Pienaarspoort stations and the construction of a new station at Greenview.
PRASA has also started work on a R1.9bn ($241m) signalling upgrade project, phase one of which is currently being implemented on the Lenz-Midway line in southern Gauteng.
The new signalling upgrades and the introduction of a new technology will provide operational efficiency and reliability.
Upon completion of the project in 2015, PRASA will introduce train services for every seven minutes, enhancing the flexibility of train operations by introducing bidirectional signalling, and modern train and rail safety standards.