Vadi announced that the BCC had invited reputable and established suppliers to submit bids for the design, manufacture, supply and maintenance of 12 new electrical multiple units (sets of trains), and the design and construction of additional depot infrastructure for the Gautrain system.
The MEC indicated that since the start of its operations, Gautrain had shown strong and consistent passenger growth in peak periods. “This has resulted in passenger overcrowding during peak periods necessitating additional train sets,” he said.
“The Gautrain system has, to date, been able to transport over 50 million rail passengers and currently carries 1.4 million passengers per month.”
He also emphasised the broader socio-economic development benefits of the Gautrain, stating that its objectives were in line with the strategic priorities of the provincial government, which are accelerating economic growth and infrastructure delivery with an emphasis on job creation.
“An independent assessment of the economic impact of Gautrain has been completed and the results have shown that the rapid rail system has created 34 800 direct job opportunities during construction and 922 sustainable jobs after the start of operations,” the MEC said.
He added that Gautrain had stimulated property development in areas around its stations and thus has contributed to the goals of transit-oriented development, better land use and redressing apartheid spatial planning.
“It is estimated that a R46 billion total GDP impact has been added to the provincial economy due to property development induced by Gautrain, contributing to a further 245 000 jobs,” Vadi said.
