Roads and transport MEC rides the Gautrain; inner workings revealed
JOBURG - As they go into their fifth year of operation, the Gautrain celebrated its anniversary with a very special media tour of their main depot in Midrand to witness their start-up operations on 22 June.
The tour was attended by Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi, who endured the cold winter morning with various media officials, to catch a glimpse of the complex daily inner workings of the Gautrain system.
The media began with a ride on Gautrain’s sweeper train, which runs every morning before operation begins on the main track to make sure that the track is clear of any safety hazards.
The guests were given an extensive and eye-opening tour of the Gautrain’s operation control centre, maintenance yard and training simulator.
The trip through the depot began with an inside look into the organisation’s intricate and 24-hour Operation Control Centre which manages the station and track security from the depot in Midrand through a complex web of surveillance.
The media was led through the Gautrain driver training simulator by trainer Louis Theunissen who said drivers go through a rigorous 41-day course which prepares them for the sophisticated train driver system and procedures.
As the organisation treated guests and stakeholders to the informative tour, it was also a way to celebrate the gains they have made in their five years of operation. This includes achieving a count of 50 million passenger trips, 300 000 train trips and 1.5 million bus trips and being receiving the Global Air Rail Alliance Award for customer service excellence, beating out Birmingham Airport in the United Kingdom, Flytoget in Norway and Canada Line in Canada.
Vadi said, “Gautrain has presented Gauteng with an opportunity to empower its citizens and to expand the economic activity of the province. The service integrates with other transport modes such as Prasa, Rea Vaya, taxis and municipal buses.
“The Gautrain is a transport flagship project in Gauteng and a convenient, fast and efficient means of travel that has become the backbone of a more integrated transport system for the people of Gauteng.”
Jack van der Merwe CEO of the Gautrain Management Agency said, “In order for the customer to trust the Gautrain system, they have to understand how it is operated and, most importantly, they also have to be educated and reminded that Gautrain is safe and secure.”
