The Gautrain Management Authority has set itself ambitious growth targets.
Speaking at the recent Rail Africa expo in Sandton, CEO Jack van der Merwe described the company as “a market leader for mobility in Africa”.
“We have one of the most modern factories in the world. We have eight production lines and are thinking of adding a ninth for normal and standard gauge systems that could become a springboard for supplying rolling stock into Africa.”
Concentrating on closer-to-home developments, Van der Merwe said GMA was planning another 150 kilometres of track that would serve 19 additional stations.
“We will have new services going from Mamelodi in Pretoria past Randburg to Soweto as well as lines from Lanseria Airport into Sandton and from OR Tambo to Boksburg.
“People from Soweto working in Kya Sands currently have to commute via Johannesburg’s city centre. Once these lines are in operation we have calculated that it will save 86 minutes of their daily commute.”
Van der Merwe stressed that it was all part of a much larger provincial development picture.
“In the last five years of GMA’s operations we have created 138 000 jobs and have seen a return-on-investment of R2.60 for every rand spent. Commercial realty is also part of the future picture as 56% of all office development in South Africa is currently concentrated around Gautrain.
“We simply have to make rail the backbone of our economy in this province.”
Plus pic of Jack van der Merwe on FTW gallery
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