Less than five months since its launch, the R30 billion Gautrain has experienced several obstructions to its service and the official opposition party says this is unacceptable.
In August, the Gautrain was crippled by cable theft twice within one week and also suspended services for about five hours due the registering of a tunnel drainage pump alarm in the same month.
Today, it's experiencing an electrical power problem that it could not pin down for four hours.
Executive at Gautrain operator Bombela Concession Company (BCC), Errol Braithwaite, says engineers are working to ascertain exactly what the problem is and by when it will be resolved.
“The details are still sketchy but it affects only the section between Sandton and Rosebank.”
Suspended services
At 05h00 today, live updates on the Gautrain site said no trains are running between Sandton and Rosebank and a replacement bus service had been put in place. It also warned of possible train delays between Marlboro and Sandton.
Commuters travelling from Rhodesfield station to Sandton had to switch trains at Marlboro where delays were experienced. Those travelling to Rosebank station had to disembark at Sandton and then use the replacement bus service the rest of the way.
An SMS update around 09h00 confirmed that Gautrain services remain suspended between Sandton and Rosebank.
“Our engineers have isolated the problem and hope to restore full services as soon as possible. All trains and buses are operating normally elsewhere on the system.”
Gautrain users can SMS 'alert' to 32693 to receive real-time service updates on their mobile phones. The service costs R1 to join and is free after that.
Unacceptable
“I'm very concerned about this,” says Democratic Alliance Gauteng transport spokesperson Neil Campbell.
He adds that Gautrain Management Agency CEO Jack van der Merwe attended a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee meeting recently where he said the Gautrain is running at over 98% in terms of efficiency and this is according to world standards tests.
“But I've been to many cities in the world and this doesn't happen. I just don't buy it.” He expressed frustration at commuters having to use the bus service when they expect to use the Gautrain.
“This substandard service belittles the Gauteng taxpayer who has already poured R30 billion into this programme. We deserve a reliable service after spending so much taxpayers' money, not an additional bus service.”
Campbell says that although Gautrain officials say the service is fine, he is still very worried.
“These breakdowns are not acceptable. Not for R30 billion.”
White elephant
After the cable theft incidents in August, Braithwaite said there is a real loss of productivity for the economy when the Gautrain doesn't run properly.
At the time, Campbell said if existing security measures are incapable of stopping cable theft, more security should be provided by the consortium.
“If not, the Gautrain will become nothing more than an exceedingly expensive white elephant.”
Also in August, a secondary train service interruption affected the line between Rosebank and Sandton stations for about five hours.
The BCC said the origin of the disruption was a tunnel drainage pump alarm, which registered in the operational control centre.
“Standard safety procedures require that all such alarms be physically inspected before passenger services can commence in the affected area. As a result, train services had to be suspended.”
BCC holds a 20-year concession to design, build, part-finance and operate the Gautrain. The company formed a public-private-partnership with the Gauteng Provincial Government for the project.
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