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The rapid rail link will generate enough electricity to power a shopping centre the size of Eastgate Mall, and talks are planned to add this capacity to Eskom's national grid.
 THE Gautrain will not only alleviate congestion on Johannesburg's roads but could serve as an electricity generator for Eskom.
This was revealed by Jack van der Merwe, the chief executive of the Gautrain Management Agency, during a meeting of Gauteng MECs to elaborate on key government programmes announced by Premier Mbhazima Shilowa in his State of the Province speech to the provincial legislature on 18 February.
Van der Merwe was responding to questions about the effects of the electricity crisis on the construction of the rapid rail link.
He said the agency would hold talks with the national electricity supplier on how the Gautrain could feed the electricity it would generate back to the national grid. When braking, the train would be able to generate about 25 percent of electricity it would use to accelerate.
"When the train brakes, the heat generated [will] be able to produce electricity capable of powering a shopping centre as big as the Eastgate Mall."
Job creation
Besides being a source of power, in the 2007-08 financial year the construction of the Gautrain created more than 29 400 direct, indirect and induced jobs, according to Ignatius Jacobs, the MEC for public transport, roads and works.
"By October 2007, the Gautrain project had employed 41 people with disabilities. It is expected that the total employment will increase to about 33 000 in 2008-09."
Speaking at the same meeting, Jacobs said that the province would establish a Gauteng Transport Management Authority (GTMA) by July. It would draw up a set of common standards for all public transport operators and a co-ordinating basis for the provision of a quality service.
Once operational, the Gautrain rapid rail link will generate enough electricity to power a shopping centre
One of the primary objectives of the GTMA would be to come up with a single ticketing system for all modes of public transport. This was expected to be functional by 2009.
"A joint process is also under way by the three spheres of government to undertake a detailed review of the provincial road and public transport networks, develop appropriate standards for these networks, and consider the urgent need to integrate the road- and rail-based public transport systems," Jacobs added.
In 2006, Shilowa had announced that 20 townships - including Soweto - would be upgraded to deal with the legacy of apartheid, and Jacobs said that in the 2007-08 financial year, some R262-million was being spent on upgrading roads as part of the 20 Prioritised Townships Programme. A further R320-million was budgeted for the 2008-09 financial year
A scheme to ease congestion on Gauteng roads was being implemented with the help of the South African National Roads Agency. Called the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Scheme, it would result in major upgrades to the N1, N3, N12, N14, the Albertina Sisulu Highway and the R24.
"Construction of new freeways such as the PWV5, PWV9, PWV14 and the extension of the N17 to the West Rand will also be undertaken," Jacobs said.
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