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It is
not yet clear whether the Gautrain's airport link will be ready for the 2010
World Cup, but work on the rapid rail route is certainly steaming ahead.
FLOATING
some 16 metres above the ground is the Rhodesfield Gautrain Station, situated about
200 metres from OR Tambo International Airport.
Why
200m from the airport? Rhodesfield caters for Ekurhuleni residents who will
take the Gautrain to and from Joburg, Midrand or Pretoria.
The
train will have two separate coaches for airport commuters, the doors of which
will remain closed when it stops at Rhodesfield.
Entrance to the Rhodesfield Station is on the ground floor - the station is two storeys above this
Across
at the airport, the station is almost complete, with sparkling tiles, three
ticket vending machines, and ticket swipe entrances in place. It is directly
linked to the departures level of the new central terminal building.
Local
commuters will be able to park in the 1 200 parking bays at the Rhodesfield
Station, and will be able to link to the Metro Rail passenger service that runs
under it. A new Metro station is being built adjacent to the Gautrain station.
Or
commuters can take the feeder buses that will shuttle passengers within a 10km
radius of the station, including to and from the Kempton Park CBD. Provision is
also being made for bicycle storage and motorcycle parking.
These
buses will run every 12 minutes during peak hours, and bus and train schedules
will be synchronised. Bus shelters will be placed every 500m in high-density
areas.
The
station entrance, concourse and parking area will be at ground level, and
passengers will take an elevator up to the platform.
Rhodesfield
is the largest viaduct or bridge on the Gautrain route, at 1,5 kilometres. It
carries the double track line over the R21 and R24 road networks to the
airport.
The CEO of the Gautrain Management Agency, Jack van der Merwe, stressed in a briefing last week that it was not yet
known whether the Gautrain link between the airport and Sandton would be ready
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. "We will make an announcement in the next three
months."
Timetables
Like the buses, trains will run every 12 minutes during peak hours, while
there'll be a train every 20 minutes in off-peak periods. Over weekends and on
public holidays a train will run every 30 minutes. The first train will set off
at 5.30am and the last train will depart after 8.30pm.
Entrance to the Sandton Station, alongside the Sandton Library
The
ride between Rhodesfield and Sandton, the only station from which commuters will
be able to catch the train to the airport, will take 15 minutes. Commuters
travelling from other stations to Sandton will have to transfer to the airport
coaches, which will have facilities to store luggage.
In
time, there will be provision for remote airport check-in facilities at Sandton
Station.
Testing
the trains
Work is ongoing at 53 sites between Park Station in the Joburg CBD right
through to Hatfield Station in Pretoria.
Just over 14 kilometres of the route had been completed, said Van der Merwe.
"We
are running the trains at 160kph, and have to run each train for 3 000
kilometres before they are ready for use," he explained.
The
assembly plant in Nigel delivers two carriages a week. Tracks have been laid
from the Marlboro Station through to Modderfontein. Marlboro Station is taking
shape, and by the end of July it will begin to look like the final product.
So
far R17,5-billion of a R25,1-billion budget, has been spent. Factors that might
affect the eventual budget include inflation, a possible extension to the
route, and a claim against the Gautrain builders.
Van
der Merwe emphasised that once toll fees, petrol and car depreciation - which
would total some R3 500 a month - had been taken into account, it would be "a
bargain" to use the Gautrain. Fares for the train will be more expensive than
those of taxi and Metro Rail tickets.
The Marlboro Station, with Alexandra township directly behind it
Commuters
will be able to buy smart card electronic tickets, with one ticket working
seamlessly for the train, the bus and parking. Tickets will be available at
ticket vending machines, where further travel time can be loaded on to the
smart card via cash, debit or credit cards.
Security
and special needs
The Gautrain will have tight security, with over 650 CCTV cameras in place.
Security officers will supplement this vigilance. The 80km network will be
securely fenced with a 2,4m high concrete fence, which will be regularly
patrolled. Only valid ticket holders will have access to stations.
Passengers
with special needs - those in wheelchairs and those with sight or hearing
impairments - will be catered for with level boarding between the train and the
platform, and a very small gap between the two.
Gautrain
buses will have low entrance floors, wide doorways and folding ramps. Ticket
vending machines inside stations will be at the height of wheelchair users.
Development
around the Rhodesfield Station has been given a boost. The council has received
applications for commercial developments, including three hotels, in the area.
Construction of the first hotel, close to the station, has begun. Another project
is a R600-million mixed-use development alongside the station.
The
Ekurhuleni council is also revisiting its local spatial development plan for
the precinct, particularly regarding roads. Land uses will also be reviewed.
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