Construction of the Gautrain project is on schedule, says project leader Jack van der Merwe.

The man with deep pockets, having already spent more than R7,4-billion on the R25-billion project, says work on the rapid-rail link between Johannesburg, Tshwane and OR Tambo International Airport is'progressing well'.

He laments, however, the project's first on-site fatality, recorded underground in September.

He says the international construction industry equation is that one life is lost for every kilometre of tunnel completed, which is never acceptable, but a statistical and unfortunate reality, and a situation the Gautrain project will attempt to avoid at all costs.

With about one kilometre completed, 14 km of tunnelling work remains.

Take a look at the progress as recorded at the end of September, with photos provided by the Gau-train project team.

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