Gibela’s first new commuter train nearly ready to be handed over to PRASA
At full production, the plant will turn out two railway cars a day - 1,5 trains a week - 62 trains a year and a total of 580 trains over the next 10 years.
NIGEL – Members from the local media were invited to a site visit at the Gibela Rail train manufacturing facility outside Dunnottar on November 19, where the first new commuter train to be built in South Africa in more than 40 years, is in the final stages of testing – ahead of being handed over to PRASA before the end of the year.
The 78ha plant where Gibela will build PRASA’s new fleet of 580 modern commuter trains, was officially opened by president Cyril Ramaphosa on October 25. A second, state-of-the-art Xtra’polis Mega commuter train is nearing completion, with a minimum of six trains scheduled to be delivered to PRASA by the end of the first quarter of 2019.
After briefing members of the media, a production team walked journalists through the eight stages of train production, starting with the key components. The plant contains around R350 million worth of specialised equipment. This includes seven-axis welding robots, the first of their kind to be used in the rail industry globally. Some 10 000 parts come together through the application of 19 new process innovations and 250 linked industrial activities.
At full production, the plant will turn out two railway cars a day – 1,5 trains a week – 62 trains a year and a total of 580 trains over the next 10 years. This amounts to the fastest train production rate in the world.
The first SA-built Xtra’polis Mega cuts a dash in its smart blue, white and silver livery as it currently undergoes dynamic testing on Gibela’s 1,2km customised test track.
“Its lightweight, stainless steel structure means it consumes less energy than standard trains. Capable of achieving a top speed of 120km per hour, it has all of the latest safety features, including an anti-crash system,” Industrial director of rolling stock, Bruce Devega explained during the tour of the facility.
The train has been designed with safety in mind. According to Devega, it is compliant with all the latest international safety requirements and also the need to provide a regular, reliable and on-time service for South Africa’s 2,3 million rail commuters.
Apart from a number of safety aspects, comfort for up to 1 200 passengers in six cars, is also a priority. The interior of the train cars is spacious, with large windows for natural light and wide doors for easy access. Air-conditioning and CCTV come standard and a monitoring system helps to ensure the train runs on time. Each coach has six wide double doors, providing commuters with easy access, particularly for those who are mobility challenged, the elderly and commuters with prams. The Xtra’polis can reach travel speeds of up to 120km per hour with the ability to upgrade to 160km per hour.
Since the start of production in mid-2017, Gibela’s employee headcount has risen to a total of 800 of whom 355 are black women. Most work as engineers, artisans and technicians in the manufacturing space.
“To date, some R126 million has been spent on staff training, with almost 300 employees having undergone skills transfer at centres of excellence around the world, operated by Gibela’s majority shareholder – Alstom,” project manager Hector Danisa said.
He added that around 71 South African suppliers are currently registered with Gibela for the supply of various goods and services, and a robust supplier development programme is in place to ensure this number grows.
“A particular focus is the identification, development and awarding of more business to local suppliers from Duduza, Tsakane, Kwa-Thema, Alrapark and MacKenzieville,” he said.
At Gibela’s on-site training centre, some 64 people are currently involved in apprenticeships and learnerships and according to Danisa, around 83% are black women. Since 2016, 650 bursaries worth R48 million have been awarded for study at South African universities and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges.
A free railway introduction course has attracted some 300 students to date, and 750 learners from schools in gate communities have benefited from extra mathematics and sciences classes provided by Gibela.
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