Here it is - the first picture of the Gautrain in action.
On Tuesday, Gauteng residents had their first glimpse of the gold, white and blue train going through its paces.
It was tested at the Allandale depot and could be seen by motorists on the Ben Schoeman highway, which runs between Joburg and Pretoria.
The Gautrain on the tracks also created great excitement among the team behind the R25-billion project.
Gautrain spokesperson Barbara Jensen said she was at a meeting at the depot when she saw the train going up and down the test tracks. Every time it reached the end, it hooted.
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"It was an incredible moment. After eight years of long and hard work, our dream has finally become a reality," she said.
"It's an African beauty."
The official launch of the train's testing takes place next week.
Jensen said the units tested had been brought in, fully assembled, from Derby in England.
Another two sets of units had already been shipped and were expected in Durban within about a month.
The coaches are running on a 4km track that will eventually be extended to 7km.
"In the meantime, as the South African-assembled coaches are completed at the factory in Nigel, we will continue testing," she said.
The Gautrain will be able to reach speeds of between of 160 and 180km/h, transporting commuters between Joburg and Pretoria in about 40 minutes.
- This article was originally published on page 12 of The Star on January 29, 2009
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