Gautrain Management Agency embarks on expansion project

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Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) has embarked on an expansion plan for four routes. The agency has already completed requesting for proposals (RFP) for the preliminary design of the four possible expansion routes to the 80 km Gautrain system.

GMA CEO Jack van der Merwe says the RFP includes technical, legal and financial aspects and will provide the GMA with guidance on the feasibility of the project.

The routes currently under investigation include a link from the existing Gautrain Park Station, underneath the city, to Westgate; a link from the existing Gautrain Rhodesfield Station to Boksburg; a link from the existing Gautrain Sandton Station to Randburg and Honeydew and a link from Naledi, in Soweto, to Mamelodi via either the proposed Gautrain Samrand Station, or the existing Gautrain Midrand Station.

Merwe said they will know what the project entails three, four years from now, at which point GMA will start looking at methods of funding the expansions adding that this means government’s medium-term budget will reflect only planning costs but not any construction costs.

Van der Merwe revealed that the expansion forms part of the Gauteng government’s new Integrated Transport Master Plan, and is not being implemented as a freestanding project. Participation on the expansion project is open to any interested party, including Gautrain concessionaire Bombela, which operates the current 80 km system in a public-private partnership.

The start of e-tolling on Gauteng’s highways in December has added around 13,000 train passengers a day. The Gautrain system currently carries 62 500 train passengers a day, and between 22,000 and 24, 000 bus passengers a day.