The first Gautrain open to the public will depart the 45-m deep Sandton station for the OR Tambo International Airport station on Tuesday, June 8, at 05:24 in the morning, says Gautrain spokesperson Dr Barbara Jensen.

The first train departing the OR Tambo International Airport station will leave at 05:30.

On route, both these trains will stop at the Rhodesfield and Marlboro stations.

Ticket prices have not been finalised yet, but Bombela, the consortium which will operate the system, has indicated that it will cost R100 to travel between the airport and Sandton stations.

The red ribbon on the first phase of the R25,5-billion rapid-rail link will be cut officially on June 5 at a black-tie event in Midrand, well ahead of the original deadline of the end of July, set when construction started in September 2006.

The construction process was accelerated to ensure the rail link will be operational in time for the FIFA World Cup kick-off on June 11.

The second phase of the Gautrain project, completing the link between Johannesburg, Pretoria and the airport, will be completed in 2011.