Gautrain set to cut highway crush

The heavy traffic at the Allandale on- and off-ramps on the N1 between Joburg and Pretoria could soon be a thing of the past.

The heavy traffic at the Allandale on- and off-ramps on the N1 between Joburg and Pretoria could soon be a thing of the past.

Published Aug 2, 2011

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From Tuesday the Gautrain will bring joy to thousands of frazzled Joburgers who face the daily battle of driving to and from Pretoria.

For those who use the train, there’s the obvious advantage – a quick hassle-free ride that takes the strain out of the journey.

And for those who spurn the train, there’s hope that the highway traffic will be significantly cut.

Gautrain experts predict a 20 percent reduction in traffic on the Ben Schoeman freeway between Joburg and Pretoria soon.

This means 25 000 to 30 000 fewer cars on that stretch of road each day. It usually carries about 150 000 vehicles in each direction.

Gautrain commuters wanting to ditch the traffic in favour of a fast train ride have been awaiting the opening of the Gautrain’s Joburg-Pretoria route for months. From today, their hopes become reality when the new route, operating between the Hatfield and Rosebank stations, kicks off at 5.30am.

The stations were opened to the public and commuters over the weekend, enabling them to purchase tickets in anticipation of today’s new route opening.

Figures for the number of tickets already sold were not immediately available, but Gautrain Management Agency spokeswoman Barbara Jensen said sales “went quite well”.

The service was to open at 5.30am and stop at 8.30pm, when the trains pull in at the end of their last trips. The service will also operate on weekends, both from Rosebank and Pretoria. Trains will run at 12-minute intervals during peak periods on weekdays between 5.30am and 8.30am, and between 4pm and 7pm, and at 20-minute intervals during off-peak hours. The trains will run at 30-minute intervals on weekends.

The cost is R46 for a single trip between Rosebank and Pretoria, R417 for a seven-day pass (about R41.70 a trip) and R1 633 for a 35-day trip (about R37 a trip).

The bus system will be fully operational along the stations. Tickets will cost R6 one way.

Also planned is a bus service between Rosebank and Park stations, so commuters will have to make alternative arrangements to get into the CBD for the time being.

Jensen said the bus service would be running “soon” and would also cost R6 per single journey. There will be no bus service on weekends and public holidays.

The section of Gautrain track between Rosebank and Park stations could not be opened because of a water seepage problem.

Last week the management agency said it hoped the Park station-Rosebank section would be opened by the end of the year and that the delay was a “precautionary measure to ensure that the highest passenger safety standards are adhered to while engineering works are in progress”.

The remedial works are being done to minimise the water seepage and will include drilling small diameter holes through the tunnel floor and injecting low-viscosity grout into the surrounding rock.

The cost of undertaking this additional engineering will be paid for by Bombela, the consortium constructing and operating the Gautrain, and not the province.

The agency has said that although the water leaks in the Rosebank-Park station section are not within the contract specifications, the entire system, including the tunnel section between Rosebank and Park stations, is completely safe. This was borne out by the fact that the Railway Safety Regulator issued an operating permit last month.

* Where you can get more info: Commuters can visit www.gautrain.co.za or www.gautrain.mobi, or phone 0800 GAUTRAIN or 0800 4288 7246 for more information. There are also information guides available at all stations.- The Star

* Share your Gautrain experience and pictures with us at [email protected].

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