Gauteng Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo has confirmed that his department intends to determine a route for Phase 1 of the Gautrain Rapid Rail Integrated Network extensions in terms of the province’s Transport Infrastructure Act.

The proposed route starts at the Little Falls Station, on Hendrik Potgieter road in Willowbrook. From there, the route runs in a north-easterly direction towards Zandspruit, where the route will pass to the west of the Jackal Creek Golf Estate.

The route then changes in a south-easterly direction towards Cosmo City and a newly proposed Cosmo station, from where the route will continue in a south-easterly direction towards the newly proposed Randburg station – passing through North Riding, Olivedale, Bryanston and Ferndale.

The route will then continue in a south-easterly direction through Randburg, Bordeaux and Hurlingham. Once it has reached Sandhurst, the route will change direction towards the existing Sandton station, where an upgraded station is proposed.

From Sandton, the route will run in a north-easterly direction through Sandton, Sandown, Marlboro and Alexandra towards the existing Marlboro station, which will be upgraded to accommodate the new alignment.

A preliminary route alignment report, and environmental assessment report, for the proposed alignment are available for inspection on the Gautrain Management Agency’s (GMA's) website.

The information contained in the preliminary route alignment report is only to the extent required for purposes of route determination and contains a broad description of the route only.

Further information on detailed design, road closures and the impact on properties located along the proposed alignment will be developed as part of the preliminary design phase that is required by Section 8 of the Act and is undertaken as part of the next planning phase.

Written comments from interested and affected parties on the proposed extension can be submitted on the GMA’s website, or by email to phase1@gautrainrapidrail.co.za, by August 15.