Gautrain rapid transit rail

[The E.N.D]

Schucks,can you say "bump"?
Pics of Park Station which will serve the Johannesburg CBD.
The rest of the line opens in July.


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[LADEN]

They still buildings this thing I thought it was done a long time ago!

[The E.N.D]

By done I think you mean the airport line (with a commuter element) which opened a year ago.That line is by all means complete and serves 4 stations in total;Sandton,Marlboro,Rhodesfield and OR Tambo Intl.

The line opening in July is the big daddy,the commuter line that runs in a north-south axis.Its going to be called at Park Station in JHB CBD,Rosebank,Sandton, the small town of Midrand and then onto Centurion,Pretoria and Hatfield.

Park Station is by far the least "ready" of all these stations and I seriously doubt it will be operational by early July.Other stations in the line like Midrand Station below, are ready to go.

image hosted on flickr

[I.M Boring]

SA looks awsome. You guys really know how to build your country.

[Nostra]

Why thank you! We love our country and our continent. Sometimes it just seems as if the feeling is not mutual (continent loving SA)...

[I.M Boring]

I agree that some individuals think negatively of SA, but the majority of Africans look up to that level of development.

[Naijaborn]

Of course, majority of Africans look up to that level of Infrastructural development.... I mean.... who wouldnt??

[Nostra]

Fair enough....

There's just a core of haters that have been having a go at SA and it bugs me...



Anyways where's one of those 'haters gonna hate' pics when you need one?

[Naijaborn]

LOL........
Well, I dont really think anyone '' Hates'' South Africa per-se..... Maybe something else, But definately not hate..........{At least not for me}
South Africa is doing well {At least, from what we see superficially} , and we {Other Africans}, can only hope our governments do things right.
Nigeria for example....... I dont even think the government there Knows what they are doing, Save for the Private sectors, Nigerian economy will be in Shambles, The Government is.................... Dont even let me start..
Visionless, to say the least.

Except for some Provinces in the country, ans some Little Shinning spots Here and There , Nigerian government is basically rubbish!

[Diggerdog]

As a South African, I put South Africa, then Africa, first in everything. If there is sport, I will support any African team against the rest of the world, and so on.

South Africa gets a bad rap often - isolated incidents tend to get aired and blown out of proportion.
South Africa accepts, and currently has, millions of refugees and expats from the continent - we certainly have groups from more African countries than anywhere else in Africa.

Most South Africans are supporters of Africa - we want Africa to succeed.

I suppose their is also a bit of tall poppy syndrome though - as in, some people in other African countries will trash SA because they are the largest economy etc.

But all that aside, South Africa needs Africa to succeed, and Africa needs South Africa to succeed.
Lets just support each other.

[hsark]

Originally Posted by Nostra

Why thank you! We love our country and our continent. Sometimes it just seems as if the feeling is not mutual (continent loving SA)...

and vice versa (SA not loving the continent) but thats a story for another thread

[Nostra]

I know...

[The E.N.D]

Park Station,JHB CBD

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Rosebank station,Rosebank CBD

Originally Posted by Pule

Midrand Station,Midrand CBD

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[bantugbro]

Originally Posted by Inertia

Long overdue update:

So about 2 weeks ago I was invited for the first mass public testing ("stress test") of the airport line. About 700 people participated, and we took a ride from Sandton station to the airport, and back, which I timed to be just under 15 minutes (one way), as promised . Here are some photos I managed to squeeze in:

The busses we were ferried to the Marlboro station from the head office in: (didnt get an inside shot )





Marlboro:

It is sad to see the train and her feeder buses cutting across Tshwane (Pretoria) CBD and Centrurion station the whole day for the second month in a row now without carrying a single passenger! what a waste of fuel..

[The E.N.D]

Originally Posted by The E.N.D

Park Station is by far the least "ready" of all these stations and I seriously doubt it will be operational by early July.Other stations in the line like Midrand Station below, are ready to go.

SA Time: Thursday, July 28, 2011 11:40:39 PM Gautrain: Joburg to Pretoria line ready

July 28 2011 at 05:21pm

Comment on this story
Independent Newspapers
Gautrain. Picture: Cara Viereckl.

The 27 billion rand second phase of the Gautrain extending from Rosebank Station in Johannesburg to Hatfield Station in Tshwane will operate commercially from August 2, the Gauteng Provincial Government, the Gautrain Management Agency and the Bombela Concession Company announced on Thursday.



The route had been scheduled for operation at the end of June, and would follow the first phase of the project linking Sandton and OR Tambo International Airport, which opened last year ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.


The independent certifiers for the project, Arup, confirmed that they would be in a position to issue the Operating Commencement Date Certificate for this phase of operations on August 1. This followed an evaluation of all the contractual and technical requirements for this phase.


The section to be opened would include all stations thereon. The Gautrain's bus services would also be fully functional along this route.
The final, southward leg from Rosebank Station to Park Station in the Johannesburg CBD however, would be opened at a later date to accommodate additional engineering works in that section of the route. “This is a precautionary measure to ensure that the highest passenger safety standards are adhered to, while engineering works are in progress,” the Gautrain operating company said.



All Gautrain stations, with the exception of Park Station, would be opened to the public from July 29, “to enable prospective passengers to familiarise themselves with the train and bus services available and also to pre-purchase Gautrain tickets,” the groups said.



Train and bus services would however only become operational from August 2.From that date train services would operate daily between approximately 5:30 and 20:30, including weekends. Trains would run at 12-minute intervals during peak periods on weekdays (5:30 - 8:30 and 16:00 - 19:00) and at 20-minute intervals during off-peak hours.
The trains would run at 30-minute intervals during weekends while the Gautrain bus timetable would be integrated with the train timetable. There will be no bus service on weekends and public holidays.



“The Gauteng Provincial Government, the Gautrain Management Agency and the Bombela Concession Company are pleased that the negotiations relating to the further engineering works, the cost implications thereof and the opening of the next phase of the Gautrain, have been satisfactorily resolved,” the group said.



The collective body said that the water ingress in the Rosebank to Park Station tunnel was a material issue for the certification of the entire Gautrain system.“First it had to be established whether the water ingress in the tunnel was more than the specifications that were agreed in the Concession Agreement,” the body said. Once this had been established, Bombela was asked to submit a tunnel works plan for additional engineering works that will be implemented to reduce the volume of ground water seeping into this section of the tunnel.



“It must be stated clearly that although the water ingress in the Rosebank to Park Station section is not within the contract specification, the entire system, including the tunnel section between Rosebank and Park Stations is completely safe. Hence the issuing, by the Railway Safety Regulator, of the Operating Permit on July 11. Although safety had not been compromised, the Gauteng Province and Bombela are concerned about the impact of water ingress, above the agreed upon levels, on the long-term viability and integrity of the infrastructure. Gautrain has been a huge investment for both parties and it is their responsibility to look after this investment, the groups said in a joint statement.



The delayed opening of the tunnel section between Rosebank Station and Park Station would enable Bombela to address the water ingress problem in the shortest possible time with the least impact on the rest of the system. “The cost of undertaking this additional engineering works will not be for the account of the province,” the groups said.



The engineering works would include drilling small diameter holes through the tunnel floor and injecting low viscosity grout into the surrounding rock. This would reduce the permeability of the rock mass and thus reduce the water which entered the tunnel drains. “This is an iterative process and it is difficult to predict how long it will take to achieve the desired results; however it is envisaged that the section between Rosebank and Park Stations could be opened by the end of this year. For those commuters who want to use this part of the Gautrain route, buses will be provided to transfer them between Rosebank and the Johannesburg CBD. The actual routes of these bus services will be communicated at a later stage,” the groups said. - I-Net Bridge

[Nostra]

Hang in there, End. They just saving the best for last.



Anyway I havent been to PTA for a while, I'd love to take the train there....

[Nostra]

The second phase of the Gautrain had a smooth start on Tuesday morning, with the new link ferrying 7 000 customers between Johannesburg and Tshwane by 09:00, said Bombela Concession Company CEO Jerome Govender.

Bombela will operate the Gautrain for a 15-year period.

The target is for the Gautrain to carry 108 000 passengers a day by the end of January.
Govender said he was aware of one train running four minutes late at Hatfield station, with no other snags reported.

He added that the bus service had also been well-utilised, with around a thousand passengers using this ancillary service by 09:00.

“Between 08:00 and 08:30 almost every bus leaving here at Sandton station was full,” said Govender.

Gautrain Management Agency CEO Jack van der Merwe was particularly pleased with the successful opening of the Tshwane-Johannesburg line, calling it a “good birthday present”.

Van der Merwe turned 63 on Tuesday.

He noted that he started work on the Gautrain at 48, when he visited Germany on a rail study tour, along with the then Gauteng premier Tokyo Sexwale.

“You can see how old this project made me,” he quipped to reporters on the Hatfield platform.

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said he was pleased Van der Merwe and the Gauteng government did not suffer from “giveupitis”, even “when [the Gautrain] seemed like a foolish idea”.

He said he believed the Gautrain could bring about a lifestyle change in Gauteng, with people moving increasingly from their cars to public transport.

The first phase of the Gautrain, linking Sandton and the OR Tambo International Airport, opened in June last year

S.African high speed train link takes off
Foreign 2011-08-02 16:29
JOHANNESBURG, August 2, 2011 (AFP) - South Africa's first high-speed train on Tuesday morning made its first trip between economic hub Johannesburg and capital city Pretoria.

The first train left Hatfield, the university district of Pretoria at 5.25am (0325 GMT), to the applause of passengers while the other train left a minute later in Rosebank, a commercial district on the northern outskirts of Johannesburg.

"I think the train is convenient for me. It will save me time and money, compared to the (minibus)taxis. I won't be stuck in traffic, I will use it every day," said Victoria Seipati, a student who was going to Pretoria who got on the train in Midrand a suburb between the two cities.

Although there were fewer passengers than expected for the first day of operation some braved the chilly morning and took the train for the experience.

"It was a smooth and exciting journey and we are very pleased.

"We came to Joburg for coffee, but it's too early, so we brought our own," said Grahame Gertsch from Pretoria.

The Gautrain -- Africa's only high-speed train (suck on that Moroccans )-- was originally scheduled to launch its Pretoria link on June 28, but the opening was delayed by water seeping into a tunnel along its southernmost branch.

Gautrain's first leg, a link between Johannesburg and OR Tambo International Airport, opened last year on June 8, three days before the city hosted the opening match of the 2010 World Cup.

The $3.8 billion high-speed railway, a landmark initiative in a country with chronically underdeveloped public transport, will be supported by a network of feeder buses serving most of its 10 stations.

Gautrain can travel at speeds of 160 kilometres (100 miles) an hour, enabling commuters to make the trip from Sandton to Pretoria in 27 minutes.

The same trip takes about 45 minutes by car with normal traffic, and can take two hours or more during rush hour.

Local officials expect more than 100,000 passengers a day, mainly car commuters wanting to escape the region's notorious traffic.

- Gautrain railway line approaching PTA from Joburg





source: http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/art...urs-2011-08-02

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-afri...oser-1.1110325

[musiccity]

Gautrain is complete! (Well almost )

[Nostra]

lol, yep almost.

[Lydon]

Glad to see our "toy Gautrain" that costs significantly more than the TGV is almost fully operational