New Gautrain link to open in January

A new Gautrain arrives at OR Tambo airport, outside Johannesburg.

The Gautrain link between Rosebank and Park Station in Johannesburg will open in January next year, said Gautrain chief executive, Jack van der Merwe.

Speaking at the Southern African Rail Association conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Van der Merwe said engineers were working around the clock to fix water ingress in the tunnel between the two points and was confident the problem would be resolved by Christmas. The opening of the link would mark completion of the R25 billion passenger rapid rail link between Pretoria and Johannesburg.

The project created 104,000 jobs during the construction phase, with an additional 2,500 permanent jobs in its operations. “Gautrain seeks to stimulate economic growth, local and foreign investments and job creation,” he said.

Van der Merwe said Gautrain stations had drawn in land use such as the development of 250,000 square metres of mixed land use by Old Mutual in Midrand.

The Gautrain currently ferries about 35,000 passengers a day, while shuttle buses account for a third of this figure.

The Railway Safety Regulator issued a safety permit to the Gautrain's Bombela Operating Company to operate the routes between Rosebank and Hatfield in Pretoria in July.