Metrorail has launched a luxury train for business commuters between Johannesburg and Pretoria; it should cut the costs of travelling and ease traffic on the N1.

The new Tshwane to Joburg Business Express train will offer luxury travel to commuters between the two cities

MOTORISTS who work in Joburg but live in Tshwane will now have an alternative to sitting in the traffic jam that happens along the N1 between the cities almost every day.

From Monday, 12 May, it will be possible to hop on the Tshwane to Joburg Business Express train, which is expected to cut down the travel time between the two metros to just under an hour.

The line has been hailed as efficient, user-friendly and affordable.

It was officially unveiled at the Pretoria A Station on Thursday, 8 May, in the presence of, among others, Minister of Transport Jeff Radebe; the chief executive officer of the South African Rail Commuter Corporation, Lucky Montana; Tshwane Executive Mayor Gwen Ramokgopa; and Irvin Khoza, the chairman of the 2010 Local Organising Committee.

The new service aims to enhance Metrorail's offerings as part of its passenger rail turnaround strategy. It is hoped that the new train will relieve peak-hour traffic congestion on the N1 and offer relief to cash-strapped motorists, being hard hit by escalating fuel prices.

"This is the most efficient public transport system," Ramokgopa said at the launch, saying that it would serve as the backbone of the public transport infrastructure in Jozi and the capital. "[The system] is pertinent to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ transport strategy, and will further serve to position Gauteng as a globally competitive region."

Coffee and papers
The Tshwane to Joburg Business Express has 24 on-board staff members, who will offer free refreshments and newspapers. It has water coolers, high level security and on board laptop workstations with built in wifi, or wireless, internet access. There are individual luxury seats and in case of fire, there are fire extinguishers on the carriages.

The comprehensive system includes free secure parking and a free shuttle bus to take commuters from different drop-off points to their various work destinations, ensuring maximum commuter convenience and comfort. It will leave Pretoria every weekday at 6.15am, arriving in Joburg at 7.15am; in the afternoon it will do a return journey, leaving Joburg at 5.30pm and promptly arriving in Pretoria an hour later.

Stops will be at major stations like Centurion, Kempton Park and Joburg's Park Station. Tickets will cost R750 for a monthly and R300 for a weekly.

The luxury seats are black, the curtains are gold and the interior is pale grey. Music is played from built-in speakers, and the driver is able to make announcements to passengers. "The rail is central to providing an efficient transport system, which is the cheapest and most affordable transport mode in the country," Montana said.

Strategy
It is part of the national Department of Transport's strategy to overhaul South Africa's public transport infrastructure before the World Cup, and to encourage more people to use public transport.

"This is a mode of transport that will provide an opportunity to move mass numbers of people from the one corridor to another," Khoza noted.

In his keynote address, Radebe said that the business express, with its contemporary style and on-board facilities, provided an excellent option for the discerning commuter who wished to savour the travel experience in a congestion-free environment.

Public transport is the nucleus of the South African economy, mostly used by millions of citizens in the lower and middle income bracket. Radebe said that greater use of public transport was one of the most effective tools for reducing traffic congestion while meeting business and commuter needs.

"This is indeed to show how important rail transport is in the social and economic development of not only South Africa, but the world." Its launched showed the progress that the Department of Transport was making in transforming the country's rail transport system, Radebe added.

"We can dare say we are on track towards providing a lasting, sustainable, efficient and affordable mode of transport to serve our people and economy at large."

It is believed that the new train will help to build a culture of using public transport. "Surely the success of our public transport system cannot be achieved without proper planning and investment in [such] infrastructure and services?" Radebe asked.

His department had put rail transport at the core of balancing an integrated public transport system with other modes such as buses and taxis, "because of the strategic role that we plan to play into the future given the various challenges we have and that we foresee".

The approach to rail transport must be focused on playing a sustainable economic role, being affordable and accessible to lower and middle income groups, Radebe noted.

"Our aim is to ensure that our transport networks at no stage in the future hamper our economic development or progress; and that we should not in the future wish we could have done things differently as that may cost us success as a country in meeting our developmental objectives."

The Tshwane to Joburg Business Express would contribute substantially to reducing traffic congestion and would give commuters a high quality travel choice. "This service [will] provide an opportunity for real savings in terms of money ... in the pockets of our people to help improve their quality of life," Radebe concluded.

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