Gautrain: Integrating the Gauteng City Region

Gautrain Integrating the Gauteng City Region

Rail public transport in the Gauteng Province

The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) is working on building new economic nodes province-wide and reinforce the existing nodes as has happened in the Rosebank and Midrand areas where massive new developments have taken place around the Gautrain stations, which have also attracted local and foreign investment into the Province.

The prime need is to integrate the Gauteng global city regions seamlessly. The proposed extensions to the existing rapid rail was informed by the Gauteng Integrated Transport Masterplan 2025 (ITMP2025).

In 2013, the Gauteng Provincial Government completed a 25- Year ITMP25 that was commissioned to enable, amongst others, province-wide mobility and societal development in the future.

This ITMP25 affirmed amongst others, that the passenger rail network should form the backbone of a modernised and integrated transport system in the Province.

As part of enabling the realisation of the strategic intent of this ITMP25, the Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, in 2014, commissioned the Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) with the development of a comprehensive strategy to improve mobility in the Gauteng. This entailed the undertaking of a comprehensive feasibility study to investigate possible extensions to the to the Gauteng Rapid Rail Integrated Network (GRRIN).

Completed in 2016, this Feasibility Study concludes that the GRRIN extensions will provide significant economic and transport-related benefits that include the following:

• Transformational impact on the Gauteng economy;

• The modernisation of public transport;

• Greener transportation solutions for a healthier community;

• Passenger access and mobility;

• Improved spatial development;

• Environmental impact;

• Increase in local content;

• Business development, and

• The creation of jobs and poverty alleviation.

This feasibility Study is subject to the National Treasury approval process that will enable the commencement of the procurement for Phase 1. On the 25 May 2022 Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Infrastructure, Mr Jacob Mamabolo, determined the route for the phase 1 of the GRRIN project.

Phase 1 of the proposed Route connects from Marlboro, Sandton, Randburg, Cosmo City, and Little Falls. Route Determination is a process that is legislated through the Gauteng Transport Infrastructure Act (GTIA) of 2001 as amended in 2003 and is the first step in the process of defining the rail reserve for a future railway line.

The determined route provides a 400m-wide land corridor within which the future railway line can be designed and implemented. The next step in the process of defining the future rail reserve is the undertaking of the Preliminary Design process that is also legislated through the GTIA and provides further detail of how the proposed extension is comprised in terms of the extent to which it is at grade, on viaducts, or underground, as well as the width of the rail reserve within this 400m corridor, and thus the land or properties that will be impacted.

The undertaking of Preliminary Design further offers an opportunity for all interested and affected parties to make further submissions as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment that this process is subjected to and is undertaken as per the prescripts of the National Environmental Management Act. This EIA also includes a Heritage Impact Assessment. The proposed GRRIN project will eventually link with the neighbouring municipalities’ own bus rapid transport and metro bus routes therefore ensuring an integrated route. Taxis will also form part of the bigger picture and will also be widely used to integrate with the bus and feeder systems to the stations.

Approximately 70% of all current Gautrain trips go across municipal boundaries. The proposed GRRIN project will eventually join all the other provincial nodes including the new Aerotropolis and new Springs logistics centre. The

The construction of the current Gautrain route has also uplifted neighbouring areas which has also cut transport costs for the average family.

GPG is looking to join all the dots and eventually link Soweto and Lanseria as well. The GRRIN project will provide major benefits such an upgradedintegrated transport network, integrated city region resulting from the linking of the existing road-based public transport and rail systems and provision of access and connection to opportunities for people by connecting several townships to the centre of Gauteng and wider regions. Compared to road transport, rail provides lower carbon transport solutions therefore the GRINN project will promote a greener Gauteng by providing environmental benefits and a good quality public transport which will reduce road-based transport thus reducing traffic congestion and carbon footprint.

The Gautrain has changed the perception of public transport in Gauteng and has tangibly changed the lives of public transport users and has integrated the provinces with 70% of Gautrain rides crossing a city boundary.

The Service has yielded visible benefits since the commencement of the development period in 2006 and it is anticipated that these positive impacts will be the same for the proposed GRRIN extensions to the network.

There has also been a massive increase in foreign direct investment with 44% in Gauteng in 2016. Johannesburg was second the highest recipient of the foreign investment between 2013 and 2016. This has included investments of conference centres which saw five centres within a 3km range of Gautrain stations, some 45% of tourism generated in Gauteng, believed to be mainly because of the Gautrain stations.

The construction of the current Gautrain route has also uplifted neighbouring areas which has also cut transport costs for the average family having to take indirect routes to theirdestinations, making a hugedent in peoples’ finances.The Gautrain project is the largestpublic-private partnership (PPP) inSouth Africa. It has linked privateenterprise and government in a project that, together withGRRIN project, will become thecentral hub of a future, integratedtransport project for Gauteng. •

For more information the Gauteng Rapid Rail Network Extensions Project visit www.gma.gautrain.co.za/Projects/ Pages/Extensions.html

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