Name and Location
Rail signalling system project, South Africa.

Client
Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).

Project Description
PRASA plans to implement a new technologically advanced rail signalling system on its commuter rail network to replace the old and often unreliable system. The company reports that nearly 80% of its existing signalling installations have become obsolete and the remainder are not able to fully support modern and safe railway operations.

The existing railway signalling system is a mixture of technologies from the 1930s to the 1980s and, in Gauteng, it depends on manual intervention when transferring a train from one control centre to another when the electronic system fails.

The project will include the modernisation of the rail signalling, communications and train management systems in high-volume corridors, such as Naledi, in Soweto, to Johannesburg; Pretoria to Johannesburg; Mabopane to Pretoria; Mamelodi to Pretoria; KwaMashu–Durban–Umlazi; Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain and Philippi to Cape Town; Kraaifontein–Bellville–Cape Town; and from Simon’s Town to Cape Town.

The new system will enhance operational capacity, allow for better flexibility, improve safety and reduce train delays and reliance on the human factor.

The Gauteng Nerve Centre (GNC) will control all commuter traffic in Gauteng once construction has been completed.

Value
Total value of the signalling programme is estimated at R17-billion.

Siemens has been awarded the R1-billion contract for the Gauteng Phase 1 signalling programme and for the Gauteng Phase 2 signalling programme valued at R2.762-billion.

The KwaZulu-Natal new signalling contract is estimated at R1.4-billion and has been awarded to Bombardier Africa Alliance.

The Thales-Maziya consortium has been awarded the R1.87-billion contract to supply a new signalling solution to the Western Cape.

Duration
The project is scheduled for completion in 2018.

Latest Developments
Construction of the GNC, which will controls all commuter rail traffic in Gauteng, is well under way.

The centre is located in Kaalfontein, near Kempton Park, in Johannesburg.

The Gauteng resignalling project comprises two projects, Gauteng Phase 1 and Phase 2, which, once completed, will result in eight sites being transformed into centralised satellite traffic control (CTC) centres. The CTC centres will be responsible for rail traffic within the surrounding areas of a given station.

These satellite CTC centres will come into operation during various phases of the project and will be transferred to the GNC in a phased approach once each satellite CTC centre is complete.

Should the GNC for some reason not be able to operate, control can be reverted back to the satellite CTC centres to maintain operation of the train service and business continuity.

The first CTC centre, Midway station, was scheduled for completion in April 2015, with the final CTC centre scheduled for completion near the end of the resignalling project, in October 2018.

Meanwhile, outdoor signalling work is currently under way at nine different stations. Outdoor work includes trenching, recabling, installation of signalling, axle counters, points machines, overhead track electrification and trackworks.

Points machines have been installed at only two sites because changing the points machines too soon can impact on rail operations, as these will need to interface with existing interlockings.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Siemens South Africa (supply of rail signalling system and GNC – Gauteng); Thales-Maziya (supply of rail signalling system – Western Cape); Bombardier Africa Alliance, comprising Bombardier Transportation, ERB Technologies, Basil Read, Bakara Engineering, R&H Railway Consultants, SIMS and Tractionel (supply of rail signalling system – KwaZulu-Natal); Siemens and Hatch Goba (rail signalling testing); Huawei (digital radio communications system); Mott MacDonald PDNA (environmental-impact study); Mehleketo (roof construction) and Diesel Electric Services.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
PRASA, Moffet Mofokeng, tel +27 12 748 7000 or email momofokeng@prasa.com.