Name and Location
PRASA New Rolling Stock Procurement Programme – Gibela rolling stock project, South Africa.

Client
Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).

Project Description
The programme involves the acquisition of about 7 200 new rail vehicles by 2034.

The supply programme will be rolled out in two phases, with the first involving the supply of 600 trains, comprising 3 600 coaches over a ten-year period.

The rail agency signed a R51-billion deal with Gibela Rail Transport Consortium, comprising Alstom (61%), Ubumbano Rail (30%) and New Africa Rail (9%), in October 2013 to supply the first 600 trains from 2015 to 2025.

Ubumbano Rail comprises several companies that are keen to enter the rail sector space as suppliers. The three commercial entities in Ubumbano Rail are Khipunyawo Rail, the Elgin-Identity Rail Corporation and Community Rail.

The consortium will provide PRASA with Alstom’s X’Trapolis Mega train, with each train comprising six cars capable of transporting more than 1 300 passengers. The trains will travel at speeds of up to 120 km/h and could be upgraded to travel 160 km/h.

The first 20 trains and 120 coaches are being manufactured at Alstom’s Lapa facility in São Paulo, Brazil, while a R1-billion 600 000 m2 local manufacturing facility will be built in Dunnottar, Ekurhuleni, to manufacture the balance of the trains.

Gibela will also provide maintenance, spare parts and technical support for PRASA over a 19-year period in terms of a deal worth about R10-billion. Alstom will establish five maintenance depots – two in Gauteng, two in KwaZulu-Natal and one in the Eastern Cape – that will provide fault-finding support, reliability engineers, controls and monitoring, and material requirement planning. Gibela will also establish two repair centres in Salt River and Durban.

In support of the new rolling stock procurement programme, PRASA has embarked on a major modernisation programme, which will include depot and station modernisation; a rolling stock refurbishment programme; and perway, bridges, infrastructure and signalling upgrades.

Value
The project forms part of PRASA’s R136-billion rolling stock fleet renewal programme.

Duration
R51-billion.

Latest Developments
Alstom’s first X’Trapolis Mega commuter train for PRASA has successfully arrived on time at PRASA’s Wolmerton depot. This is the first train of the 600 ordered and is set to enter into a dynamic testing phase in the South African railway.

The train arrived from Alstom’s Lapa manufacturing site in Brazil.

The X’Trapolis Mega train has undergone static tests at the Lapa facility and will undergo various tests during the dynamic testing phase, including reaching speeds of up to 132 km/h. The tests on PRASA test tracks and mainline will focus on traction and braking performances up to crush load.

Other tests will address gauge checking, journey time and functional performances, including: heating, ventilation and air conditioning; public address, closed circuit television (CCTV), information systems; multiple unit operation, the signalling, or the monitoring system, which enable to remotely diagnose the health of the train’s components and to plan the maintenance accordingly.  The second train, due to arrive in South Africa in early 2016, will be subjected to similar tests.

The new train runs at a maximum speed of 120 km/h. The train for PRASA comprises six cars and can accommodate up to 1 200 passengers. There are three doors per car and on each side, facilitating passenger flows during peak hour while reducing headway between trains. The train is equipped with a real-time passenger information system and CCTV.

The train uses 31% less energy than the train operated currently, owing to the regenerative braking system and its being made of stainless steel.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

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

Contact Details for Project Information
PRASA, Moffet Mofokeng, tel +27 12 748 7000 or email momofokeng@prasa.com.
Gibela communications director Pamella Radebe email pamella.radebe@gibela-rail.com.