The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has, to date, taken delivery of five X’Trapolis Mega train sets manufactured by the Gibela Rail Transportation Consortium in Brazil.
A further two of the train sets, each comprising six coaches, are en route to South Africa, while the remaining 13 are in the manufacturing phase.
The 20 train sets form part of the Gibela consortium’s R51-billion contract, signed with PRASA in 2013, for the supply of about 600 train sets over a ten-year period.
The other 580 train sets will be locally manufactured at a R1-billion facility that is under construction in Dunnotar, Ekurhuleni, and which is expected to be fully operational by June next year.
Speaking at the public launch of Test Train No 2 (TT2), last month, PRASA acting CEO Piet Sebola reiterated that the first of the X’Trapolis Mega train sets would be commissioned by October.
The TT2 tests, to be undertaken by PRASA and Gibela engineers, will see the train tested for commuter features compliance. The tests will also focus on infrastructure compatibility and upgrades, as part of PRASA’s R172-billion Modernisation Programme to upgrade ageing infrastructure and ensure compatibility with the new X’Trapolis Mega technology.Unlike the first test train, TT1, which had not been outfitted with any passenger comforts, the first three coaches to undergo the TT2 tests, which were delivered to PRASA in March, had been fully fitted with all the interior components, including air conditioning, closed-circuit television and an emergency passenger intercom system.
The three remaining coaches had been fitted only with electronic systems to allow for comparison with the TT1’s electronic systems as part of the overall test phase.
Transport Minister Dipuo Peters called on South Africans to protect and value the new trains, stressing the importance of PRASA and government’s investment in new rolling stock to ensure the delivery of good-quality services to communities.