Name of the Project
Gautrain additional rolling stock and depot enhancement procurement programme.

Location
Gauteng, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
Gautrain Management Agency (GMA), an agency of the Gauteng Provincial government (GPG).

The Gautrain is operated by the Bombela Concession Company (BCC).

Project Description
The project involves the acquisition of additional rolling stock comprising 12 new trains of four cars each and the construction of a workshop for the maintenance of the new trains.

Potential Job Creation
The project is expected to sustain 10 000 jobs in Gauteng.

Capital Expenditure
Not stated.

Planned Start/End Date
The project for the procurement of the new trains has been suspended until 2026.

Latest Developments
The GMA is investigating the procurement of pre-owned rolling stock from the UK to address peak-hour congestion on the Gautrain system.

This follows as a tender process to secure 12 new four-car train sets for the Gautrain system failed to deliver the desired results at the end of 2018, when none of the three short-listed bidders produced a compliant bid.

GMA CEO Jack van der Merwe says the UK railway system was privatised in the 1990s, creating three separate entities to manage rolling stock, operations and the track.

Owing to circumstances in the UK rail industry, the rolling stock operating companies (Roscos) have several trains available that are about four years old.

Van der Merwe says the GMA is considering adding trains to the Gautrain system that are about he same age as the current rolling stock fleet.

The UK is also the perfect place to shop for pre-owned rolling stock, as the Gautrain shares its loading gauge with the trains in the UK.

The loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures.

The GMA has identified three UK Roscos that may be able to supply the desired rolling stock. These companies will be invited to submit a bid in a closed tender.

The rolling stock may be leased or bought.

The GMA will aim to obtain 30 wagons. These will operate largely on the Gautrain’s airport line, with the airport line’s rolling stock then moved over to the congested north–south line.

The GMA is still securing the necessary approvals, such as local content requirements, from government to move the process forward, Van der Merwe has said.

The GMA hopes to refurbish and kit out the trains using local labour and material.

“The pre-owned trains will look different from the current Gautrain rolling stock in terms of shape, but will wear the same colours,” he adds.

The GMA hopes to have the trains operational by 2022.

Acquiring pre-owned rolling stock as opposed to buying new rolling stock, as per the original tender, should result in the price tag dropping from an estimated R4.5-billion to R2-billion, keeping in mind, however, that the number of wagons acquired is also declining from 48 to 30.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Too early to state.

Contact Details for Project Information
GMA senior executive manager communication and marketing Dr Barbara Jensen, email barbaraj@gautrain.co.za.