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Dunnottar train manufacturing complex project, South Africa

15th December 2017

By: Sheila Barradas

Creamer Media Research Coordinator & Senior Deputy Editor

     

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Name of the Project
Dunnottar train manufacturing complex project.

Location
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 state-of-the-art X’trapolis Mega commuter trains over 10 years and provide technical support, as well as spare parts, over a 19-year period, to the rail agency.

The train manufacturing complex has a geographical footprint of 78 ha, comprising:

• the total built area of the factory of 51 ha, of which only 33 ha will be developed. The remaining land comprises an environmentally sensitive wetland, the preservation of which has necessitated the construction of a dam as part of the design and layout of the plant.
• 27 ha that have been reserved for the Ubumbano Rail Park, which will house suppliers of materials and components required for the new trains. The manufacturing contract has a minimum of 65% local content stipulation.

The factory will produce 580 trains comprising 3 480 cars.

The plant will be equipped with several kilometres of rail network, including a 1.25 km dynamic test track for the testing of completed trains.

The first 20 trains were manufactured in Brazil, with the last of these arriving in South Africa in June 2017. The remaining 580 will be built at Dunnottar. At its peak, the manufacturing facility will produce 62 trains a year.

Potential Job Creation
About 47 small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) have received work to the value of R219-million from the construction programme, with 32 of these being local SMMEs.

People from the surrounding area have secured 716 out of 822 construction jobs to date.

Value
R1-billion.

Duration
The plant is expected to be completed early in 2018.

Latest Developments
Construction of the Dunnottar complex, on the far East Rand, is on track for completion in March next year.

Gibela is commissioning the industrial equipment at the plant. The first locally built train is expected to be delivered in December 2018.

A particular challenge in producing the 600 new trains is that Gibela will have to build one train car a day in 2019, at the peak of production.

Gibela has identified and developed 100 local-component suppliers for the project. Some of these companies will supply Gibela directly, while others will supply Alstom Ubunye, which will, in turn, provide a number of components to Gibela. These components include bogies, traction systems, converters, control systems and looming.

Alstom Ubunye is the former Nigel-based Commuter Transport & Locomotive Engineering. Alstom acquired 51% of the rolling stock refurbishment business in 2016.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Aecom (engineering, procurement and construction management contractor); Trencon Construction (site clearance, bulk earthworks and civil infrastructure) and Trencon Construction and Black Jills Engineering (main site buildings, including the training centre), Saflog Consulting Services (rail infrastructure).

On Budget and on Time?
Initial timelines have been negatively impacted on by various factors, including land and other permitting delays, which had a budgetary knock-on effect. Ameliorating the effect of these forms part of the ongoing project execution.

Contact Details for Project Information
Gibela communications director Pamella Radebe, email pamella.radebe@gibela-rail.com

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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