REGIONAL FOCUS: GAUTENG BY JESSIE TAYLOR
All Aboard: Reviving Gauteng’s economy through
Public transport transformation
A
proposal to launch the next phase of the Gautrain holds the promise of improved public transport, cleaner air and economic gains. The public transport model links Pretoria and Johannesburg via high-speed train but will be expanded to reach areas such as Soweto by more than doubling its current network. Not only will this provide more commuters with safe and reliable transport to business hubs in Johannesburg and Pretoria, but it will also increase jobs in the province. Creating new economic links The Gautrain consists of two lines that link Johannesburg’s central areas to Pretoria and OR Tambo international airport via 80-kilometres of track.
The expansion plans, dubbed Gautrain 2, will see another 150 kilometres of track added to this network, with a further 19 stations constructed. The first phase of construction will run from Marlboro to Randburg, Cosmo City, and Little Falls. The second phase will then link Little Falls to Jabulani in northern Soweto via Randburg. The link will ultimately be extended to Lanseria airport. Once the link between Soweto and Randburg is complete, it could save commuters around 86 minutes compared to the current trip time between Soweto and Randburg, estimates Gautrain Management Agency CEO William Dachs. In addition to the Gautrain 2 expansion, the company plans to add new stations at Waterfall, Samrand and Modderfontein and further
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commercialise Centurion and Marlboro stations. The expansion plans on the current system would cost around R24.4-billion, while the Gautrain 2 expansion is priced at an estimated R110-billion.
These savings are especially important if you consider that around R300 million a year is lost to traffic congestion. While it was initially hoped the five-year construction of the Gautrain 2 first phase would start mid-2023, delays in financing could see this pushed out to the end of 2024. An application for authorisation for the project in terms of the Public Finance Management Act is still with the National Treasury.
