Name of the project and location
Gautrain rapid-rail link, Gauteng.

Project description
The Gautrain project involves a modern state-of-the-art rail connection, linking Sandton, Johannesburg, Tshwane and the OR Tambo International Airport (formerly Johannesburg International Airport). The network, which will consist of approximately 80 km of railway line and which may be extended in the future, will be made up of two links - one between Tshwane and Johannesburg and between Sandton and Rhodesfield for commuters and another from OR Tambo International Airport to Sandton for business and leisure tourists.

A dedicated service for local and international air passengers will be operated between OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton, with a possibility of decentralised check-in facilities available at Sandton station depending on international aviation regulations. Apart from the three anchor stations at Johannesburg Park station, Tshwane and OR Tambo International Airport, there will initially be seven other stations: Hatfield, Centurion, Midrand, Sandton, Rosebank, Rhodesfield and Marlboro.

The project is expected to generate numerous benefits for the people of Gauteng, including economic development, job creation, a world class transport system and environmental benefits.

The Bombela Consortium was appointed as the concession company to design, build, operate and maintain the Gautrain over rival Gauliwe.

In announcing Bombela as preferred bidder in June 2005, Premier Shilowa advised that the consortium had exceeded most of the targets that government has set for the project. These include a 15,3% target for equity participation, which Bombela set at 25,6%; a 32% target for procurement from black economic-empowerment companies, which Bombela set at 41%; and a 32% target for subcontracting to empowerment companies, which Bombela exceeded by 10%. Bombela has also set aside R54-million for social investment programmes.

Value
According to Gautrain Management Agency's CEO, Jack van der Merwe the Gautrain will cost 4,6% more than initial estimates owing to the rand's drop against the dollar, increasing costs of machinery imports.

The rail project will now cost R25,1-billion and not R24-billion.

Duration
The construction period allowed for is 54 months.

The Sandton to OR Tambo link and the link between Sandton and Midrand will be completed and tested in 45 months - in time for the 2010 soccer World Cup - and the remaining five stations, linking Sandton with Johannesburg Park station and Midrand with Hatfield, will be completed by March 1, 2011.

Breakdown of main contracts
Construction, station developments, technology, feeder and distribution systems, rolling stock and traction, signalling and control systems and commercial-property development in and around stations. The latter aspect, that is, commercial-property development in and around stations, is not part of the current scope. However, Bombela Consortium has commissioned research into land-use planning in these ‘zones' and will be discussing such developments with the client during the process from preferred bidder to financial close.

Client
Gautrain has been structured as a public-private partnership project. The client is the Gauteng Provincial Government. Bombela Concession Company is the private sector partner and comprises Bombardier Transportation (25%), Bouygues Travaux Public (25%), Murray & Roberts (25%), and Strategic Partners Group (SPG) (25%) as shareholders.

Latest developments
Work on the Gautrain project is steaming ahead, with all sections of the project reporting significant progress, including the airport link, which is one of the more difficult tasks, as it involves tunnelling to a depth of 14 m.

Most of the bulk work on the airport link has been completed and the project team is now focusing its energy on the complicated tunnelling work at Marlboro.

Some 70 m of tunnelling has already been completed.

The design for the piles supporting the Eskom pylons is in progress, with the construction of a storm water manhole at the N3 crossing almost completed.

At the Midrand depot, some 500 000-m3 bulk volumes of earthworks has already been shifted, while bulk earthworks for the train depot platform is 73% completed.

On the eastern side of the depot, hard rock excavation is progressing well.

Drainage for the bus depot platform is in progress, with a temporary access road within the rail reserve, also completed.

On the permanent depot access road, a weighbridge has been constructed.

The first floor slab for the bus depot administration building at Midrand is in progress, with nearly 87% of the outside brickwork already completed.

Further, exploration drilling and foundation testing for the Tshwane link is under way, and power utility Eskom is busy relocating the power lines crossing the N14 near Jean avenue and at Eufees road.

Rotary diamond core drilling is being carried out at the Tshwane and Hatfield stations, with nine of the ten boreholes already completed at Tshwane, and eight of the 18 boreholes completed at Hatfield.

Meanwhile, at the underground Park station, excavation for the drill-and-blast shaft is 40% completed, and relocation of the existing utilities is on schedule.

Participants
The Gauliwe Consortium (the reserve bidder until financial close) comprised CAF (rolling stock), Dragados and Grinaker (construction), Tirisano Consortium and Ufudu (BEE group) and Metro de Madrid (operator).

Bohlweki Environmental (environmental-impact assessment and biophysical and socioeconomic evaluation), Standard Bank and Rand Merchant Bank (lead arrangers, underwriters and sole lenders to the Gautrain project), Nedbank (agent bank to the lender to manage the financial transactions and bank issuing project bonds to contractors), Arup SA (independent certifier), Tractionel Enterprise (supply and installation of the OCDS) and Thales Transportation Systems and Sims (automatic fare collection system).

Construction materials
Tunnels are being constructed using traditional drill and blast methods, as well as tunnel boring machines.

On budget and on time?
According Van der Merwe the project is progressing well and is right on schedule.

Contact details for project information
Gautrain Management Agency CEO, Jack van der Merwe, tel (011) 997 8900, fax (011) 997 8901/2/3, email Jackvdm@gpg.gov.za.
Bombela Concession Company communications and marketing executive, Yolisa Tyantsi, tel (011) 997 8222, fax (011) 997 8011 or email yolisa.tyantsi@bombela.com.