Name and Location
Dunnottar train manufacturing complex project, Gauteng, South Africa.

Client
Gibela Rail Transport Consortium, comprising Alstom (61%), Ubumbano Rail (30%) and New Africa Rail (9%).

Project Description
The project involves the construction of a 60 000 m² factory at the Dunnottar industrial complex to manufacture trains for South African State-owned Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). This forms part of a R51-billion contract to supply 600 new trains over ten years and provide technical support, as well as spare parts over an 18-year period, to the rail agency.

The 70 ha industrial park will include a 36 ha train assembly site, a 10 ha bogie, traction and motor site, and a 25 ha supplier park. The factory will produce 580 coaches and is expected to generate about 33 000 direct and indirect jobs.

The plant will also be equipped with several kilometres of rail network, including a 1.2 km dynamic test track for the testing of completed trains.

The first trains are being manufactured in Brazil, while the remaining 580 units will be assembled at Dunnottar. At its peak, the manufacturing facility will produce 62 trains a year, in line with Alstom’s X’Trapolis Mega commuter train design.

To ensure that the contract’s 65% local-content stipulation is met, the complex will also accommodate local components suppliers.

Value
R1-billion.

Duration
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Gibela has awarded the Trencon Black Jills joint venture (JV) the R400-million contract to build the main site buildings at its Dunnottar train manufacturing plant.

Gibela CEO Marc Granger has described the 21-year-old Trencon Construction as the largest black-owned construction company in South Africa. The eight-year-old Black Jills Engineering is a black-women-owned firm.

Trencon will have a 70% share in the JV and Black Jills 30%.

Construction of the new-train manufacturing facility has already begun. Site mobilisation started in early May to begin work on a training centre; a central complex, including offices and a canteen; and utility buildings used for operational purposes such as a gate house.
 
The training centre, expected to be completed in October this year, will be the first building to be completed. This will enable staggered training in readiness for when local train manufacturing operations begin.

The first manufacturing building is expected to be completed in March next year. This allows for preliminary work on train production to get under way during the second quarter of the year.
 
The aim is for all the buildings to be completed and fully equipped by November 2017, when full-scale assembly of the first South African-made trains will begin.

This starting date means there will be a gap between the delivery of the last Brazilian train and the delivery of the first South African produced train, Granger has said. However, he believes it is more important to deliver on the goals of empowerment, local content and the revival of the domestic rail industry than to rush local manufacture.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Construction of the factory was initially expected to start in early 2015, but delays in securing the site resulted in work falling behind schedule.

Contact Details for Project Information
Gibela communications director Pamella Radebe, email pamella.radebe@gibela-rail.com.
Alstom, Linda Huguet, tel +33 1 57 10 42 or email linda.huguet@transport.alstom.com.