More than a high-speed, convenient link between OR Tambo International Airport, Joburg and Tshwane, the Gautrain is also providing skills training and jobs on a huge scale.

Mpho Mudau operates a water treatment plant at the Gautrain Sandton Station

MPHO MUDAU is a water treatment plant operator at the Gautrain Sandton Station, and she loves her job.

Mudau, who is from Alexandra in Joburg's north, is one of the women employed to work on the rapid rail link. She started the job in June this year through the project's practical on-the-job-training programme.

"I have come to learn a lot during the few months I have been working at the Sandton station and the skills I have acquired will definitely help me in future long after the construction of the Gautrain is complete," said the shy Mudau, turning a huge water valve.

She is one of 704 women working on the rapid rail link, and is a product of the Gautrain's women empowerment initiative to train and provide jobs for women from previously disadvantaged communities.

During a tour of the project to monitor women's empowerment in the construction on Thursday, 21 August, Gautrain's chief executive, Jack van der Merwe, said there were 2 000 apprentices being training at present, and that a good number of these apprentices were women.

"There are 9 501 people working on the 52 sites of the Gautrain. About 93 percent of these people are local."

Van der Merwe said Gautrain had skills development and capacity building initiatives to sustain socio-economic development in Gauteng. The project was exploring previously disadvantaged areas to select the 250 most suitable candidates to provide skills in critical areas like project management and engineering.

"The Gautrain project is not a transport project only. It is also meant to stimulate investment and economic growth, create jobs and redress economic inequalities inherited from the past."

Learnerships
He added that Gautrain provided several construction-related learnerships for women who were previously unemployed. These women would undergo a 16-month-long learnership, after which they would receive a recognised qualification registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NFQ) and endorsed by the South Africa Qualifications Authority (SAQA).

In addition, more than 10 women were busy completing their bachelor of business administration degrees at Cida City Campus. Another 40 learners were undertaking courses in construction and civil engineering at further education and training (FET) colleges.

Since the beginning of 2008, Gautrain had helped more than 1 000 employed and unemployed people acquire critical and scarce skills training in construction and construction vehicle operation, mostly through a Nationals Skills Fund (NFS) grant.

Over and above the training initiative that was financed through the National Skills Fund, Gautrain had sustained more than 4 700 local direct jobs and more than an estimated 25 400 direct, indirect and induced jobs in the 2007/08 financial year.

Women's Month
The Gauteng MEC of public transport, roads and works, Ignatius Jacobs, said the tour coincided with Women's Month celebrations. The Gautrain project was creating more jobs than any other project in the province.

Workers put up waterproofing in the Sandton tunnel

"The Gautrain will not only change the face of the province's landscape but will bridge the critical skills gap. Training that is being provided by international companies like coach manufacturers Bombardier to our local people will contribute to the development of our skills base."

Jacobs said some countries, like Angola and Nigeria, had shown interest in constructing similar rapid rail links and South Africa would be able to tender for such projects through skills acquired through building the Gautrain.

Van der Merwe said construction work at the 52 sites was progressing well; two sets of tunnels were being excavated towards Sandton station. Work on the Mushroom shaft, where the Gautrain would see daylight for the first time from Park Station, was progressing well and the single track tunnel and side cavern section was approximately 570 metres, while the double tunnel towards Sandton was 397 metres by the end of July.

The double track tunnel towards Marlboro Portal was 1 170 metres. Later this year, the tunnel being excavated from Mushroom Farm Park will meet the tunnel being excavated from Marlboro Portal to form one, continuous tunnel.

At Sandton station, where the sinking of the south shaft is complete, the staggered tunnel towards the south has progressed to 68 metres and the main cavern top heading has advanced to 77 metres, with five metres remaining to link this to the north shaft.
 
North shaft
Excavation of the north shaft - which will house the atrium entrance to the station - is continuing. Good progress is being made in piling, foundation, retaining walls and column construction for the three-level underground parkade.

Inside the earth: a drilling machine makes its way through the Sandton tunnel

Construction of the R25-billion Gautrain started at the end of September 2006. The first phase, which includes construction of the network between OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton, the stations at OR Tambo International Airport, Rhodesfield, Marlboro and Sandton, together with the train depot and operations control centre located near Allandale Road, in Midrand, will be completed in 2010.

The second phase, being constructed concurrently, will be completed in 54 months, towards 2011. It includes the remainder of the rail network and stations linking Sandton station to Park Station in Johannesburg and the route from Midrand to Hatfield in Tshwane.

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