The Gautrain has announced a significant scale-up of its bus services between the Rosebank and Park stations as a contingency measure following the suspension of train operations between these two stations.

As of February 16, the train service between Rosebank and Park stations remains suspended owing to illegal drilling activity on a private property located above the Gautrain tunnel.  

Parts of the 80-km Gautrain rail network runs below ground in tunnels, while the rest of the network runs above ground.

The drilling activity was not approved in accordance with the requirements of the Gauteng Transport Infrastructure Act and caused the ingress of water and soil into the tunnel, which impacts the ability to operate the system between these two stations.

Gauteng Transport and Logistics MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela visited the site on Sunday to assess work currently under way to repair the section of the tunnel affected by the seepage.

“Ensuring the safety of passengers remains the primary focus while the repairs are taking place, a Gautrain bus replacement service has been set up between Rosebank and Park stations,” she said.

Buses will run every 15 minutes between the two stations from 05:30 to 20:30 as a contingency measure.

The train service continues to operate according to schedule at unaffected stations.

“We . . . will continue to work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure this incident is resolved to enable the restoration of the Gautrain’s full services.

“The Gautrain apologises for the inconvenience caused by this disruption and hereby commits to keep our customers updated as more information becomes available,” Gautrain said in a statement.

“We urge all stakeholders to follow due process when any land use changes or construction activities are planned in the vicinity of transport infrastructure in Gauteng so that such occurrences are prevented in the future,” it added.

City of Johannesburg Public Safety MMC Mgcini Tshwaku has, meanwhile, in a separate statement, called on stakeholders to ensure they obtain the necessary approvals before drilling any boreholes, noting that there have been several instances of illegal drilling in the city in recent months.

“All those found drilling without approval will be arrested, their equipment confiscated and they will face the full might of the law.

“The city remains committed to upholding the rule of law and protecting its infrastructure through rigorous by-law enforcement. We urge residents of Johannesburg to report any suspicious activity affecting municipal infrastructure,” he said.

He also encouraged residents wanting to drill boreholes to ensure they consult with professional and legally registered drilling companies that have experience and knowledge of the regulations and by-laws.