Name and Location
Moloto rail corridor development initiative, between Gauteng and Mpumlanga, South Africa.

Client
The project will be implemented jointly by the National Department of Transport and the Gauteng and Mpumalanga provincial governments.

Project Description
The project will result in the provision of an integrated transport link between Gauteng and Mpumalanga.

The project will include rail, road and transfer facilities and aims to reduce travel time and road accidents on the corridor and provide affordable and safe travel options for commuters.

The project will use a wider-gauge railway line, similar to the Gautrain, which means that it will be able to accommodate high-speed trains.

Value
R9.7-billion.

Duration
A timeframe for the project is still to be confirmed.

Latest Developments
The long-awaited Moloto Corridor project has, after some delay, reached the full value assessment and economic evaluation phase of its ongoing feasibility study, increasing the likelihood that Gauteng and Mpumalanga could soon enjoy an integrated rail transport link.

Transport Minister Dipuo Peters has indicated in a recent Parliamentary response that, once the valuation of the estimated R9.7-billion project is complete, the department expects to conclude the final procurement and implementation plan and submit this to National Treasury for approval by the end of September.

“[As] the Moloto Corridor Project is a registered public–private partnership (PPP), it must be conducted in accordance with Treasury regulations, which stipulate that six analyses must be concluded as part of the feasibility study, the penultimate of which is the valuation assessment – a study we are currently advancing,” she outlined.

The initial needs-analysis phase was completed in February 2013 and was followed by the options analysis phase, from which the rapid-rail option was recommended in November as the preferred mode of transport.

At a subsequent political oversight committee (POC) meeting in December, the rapid-rail option was endorsed and a further detailed investigation of the option is being conducted to complete the feasibility study by September.

The POC further resolved that a project implementation and management office (PIMO) be established at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), as the body responsible for commuter rail services to advance the project to completion.

“The implementation of the integrated rapid-rail solution on the Moloto Corridor will be handled by PRASA. On August 5, I will launch the PIMO, which will be responsible for the technical implementation of the project at PRASA,” Peters has stated.

On Budget and on Time?
The advancement of the project has been delayed by issues pertaining to finalisation of the PPP’s funding model and by the local community having occupied land identified for the project.

Contact Details for Project Information
The Department of Transport acting director media relations, Sam Monareng, tel +27 12 3093970 or email MonarenS@dot.gov.za.