September 29, 2006
By Lucille Davie
IT was a sod-turning with a difference. The champagne flowed, hundreds of people in shiny gold hardhats bobbed around a dusty patch of earth, and the caterpillar stood ready.
Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa smiled his big smile, propped high up in the seat of the Caterpillar earthmover as he manoeuvred the huge yellow machine forward. The sharp-edged container gouged the earth and lifted spadefuls of soil into the air. It was the long-awaited sod turning of the province's Gautrain, and the beginning of the construction of the train line.
The event, on Thursday, 28 September, took place on the north-eastern edge of the city, in the suburb of Marlboro, with Alexandra township visible in the distance. Marlboro will be one of the stations on the Gautrain route.
A large marquee had been erected to house the many officials and guests, among whom were Minister of Transport Jeff Radebe, Gauteng MECs Paul Mashatile (finance) and Ignatius Jacobs (public transport, roads and works), executive mayors and councillors.
"I'm deeply honoured to be part of this auspicious occasion," Radebe said. "The event today promises to deliver a huge economic asset for the Gauteng province and the country as a whole. There were many hurdles along the way but hard work and commitment have finally paid off.
"Phambili [forward], Gautrain, phambili," he added.
Gold and blue
Shortly before the caterpillar sod-turning, Shilowa had unveiled a model train, revealing for the first time the train's new logo. It consists of two sleek gold swish shapes, one fatter than the other and tapering from right to left. A thin dark blue line lies underneath them and below are the words: "GAUTRAIN, for people on the move".
"The simple colour usage combines gold and the established Gauteng province emblem's blue," reads a Gautrain statement. "The graphic is grounded as it appears to speed across the landscape."
"Combined with strong typography, this simple yet powerful logo is timeless. The powerful design shapes encompass all that the Gautrain has to offer: speed, efficiency and futuristic world-class design."
Earlier in the day Shilowa had signed the 3 000-page Concession Agreement with the preferred bidder, the Bombela Concession Company.
"This is a very important day for Gauteng. After months of discussions and negotiations the Concession Agreement has been finalised. The process has been long but is unavoidable for a project and agreement of this complexity, cost and duration," he said.
"All the checks and balances are in place and we are now taking a major step forward in our journey of turning the Gautrain vision into a reality. The project has moved into the next phase – construction."
Tunnelling to begin
Construction of the 80km long Gautrain will start in Johannesburg, with work starting on stations at Park Station, Rosebank, Sandton, Marlboro and Midrand, and the link eastwards to Rhodesfield Station and the OR Tambo International Airport. Intersection and road upgrades will take place at Rosebank, Park Station and Sandton. Shafts will be sunk and work on tunnelling will now begin.
This will take 45 months and be completed in time for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The second phase of the construction will include the three Tshwane stations of Centurion, Pretoria and Hatfield, and will be completed by March 2011.
Project leader Jack van der Merwe said on Thursday that the road to reach this point had been difficult, but that the highlights had been the dedication he had experienced and the special people he had met along the way. "This is the biggest public-private partnership in Africa and one of the biggest in the world."
He praised the decisive leadership of the premier and the driving force of Mashatile, saying that if he'd been asked whether it had been worth the effort, he would answer "yes". He would also answer "yes" if asked whether he would do it again.
"I am looking forward to riding on the first train," he said.
Premier Mbhazima Shilowa, transport minister Jeff Radebe and public transport, roads and works MEC Ignatius Jacobs - at last construction is to begin
Shilowa emphasised that the Gautrain would be part of an "integrated, intermodal transport system". He stressed that "long before the Gautrain starts moving, we will have sorted out our public transport system", and that he had "never seen the Gautrain as a solution to all our transport problems".
He said too that one of the conditions of the cabinet approving the project was that it must remain within its budget of R20-billion, adding that he was very aware that this was public money.
Shilowa indicated that he was aware that the construction would cause disruptions in the lives of the province's residents. "Every effort will be made to manage these inconveniences. In the long term these disruptions will be worthwhile. We will realise the benefits, including jobs, economic growth and, most of all, freedom of movement to our people."
The Gautrain project began in 2000 and, although projects of this size usually take about 14 years, the first passengers are expected to step on board within 10 years of that date. "We will have a rapid rail system that can proudly take its place among the best in the world. In a couple of years people will not be able to imagine Gauteng without Gautrain.
"Keep your seat belts fastened for the duration of the trip," he concluded.
Radebe emphasised the inclusivity of the network. "At the end of the day, this is not about elite public transport, but is about creating a mass transit system that caters for workers and business people, civil servants and scholars, shoppers and leisure seekers to get them where they want to be – safely, securely and affordably."
Mashatile concluded the formal ceremony with a vote of thanks. After thanking Shilowa, Radebe and Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, from whom he had received a letter on Thursday morning authorising the final figures, he said: "This is the biggest rail project under construction in the world. We know we are not going to fail."
And then, with a big smile, he added, "Let the work begin."
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
