A) SOUTHERN SECTION

1.Underground section

All tunnel excavation – a total length of approximately 15.5 kilometers from Park Station to Marlboro Portal – was completed in September 2009. Civil works, tracklaying and associated electrical & mechanical railway infrastructure works within the tunnels between Marlboro Portal and Sandton Station are complete.

Since 26 February 2010, the Gautrain Electrostar trains have been test running between ORTIA and Sandton on a regular basis. Trial Running on this section of the System commenced on 12 April 2010.

Within the remaining tunnel section to Park Station, civil works, including final lining, cable duct installation and walkways are well advanced and the installation of mechanical and electrical equipment is ongoing. Tracklaying from Sandton Station southwards is in progress.

The underground works also include the construction of seven emergency access shafts located at intervals along the single-track rail tunnel between Park Station and Sandton Station. These shafts will provide emergency services personnel access to the tunnels below. At the bottom of certain of these shafts there will be safe havens where passengers can gather in case of an emergency. Construction works are ongoing at each of these emergency access shafts.

PARK STATION

At Park Station, construction of the cut & cover section linking the northern end of the station box to the tunnel portal is ongoing. Within the station itself, internal brickwork and plastering at the concourse and platform areas are substantially complete. Wall and floor tiling at concourse level is well advanced and painting and final finishings are in progress. Mechanical and electrical (M&E) works, including escalator installation, are ongoing.

At the parkade structure, work is in progress on the final 6^th level deck slab. Erection of precast parapets is ongoing.

Reinstatement of Wolmarans Street is complete and reinstatement of Smit Street, together with the associated utility relocations, is ongoing.

EMERGENCY ACCESS SHAFT E1 (HILLBROW)

Construction activities within the technical rooms and safe haven located at the bottom of this shaft are ongoing. The surface head house building is in progress, with roof erection commenced.

EMERGENCY ACCESS SHAFT E2 (THE WILDS, HOUGHTON)

Construction activities within the safe haven and technical rooms located at the bottom of this shaft are ongoing.

EMERGENCY ACCESS SHAFT E3 (Riviera)

Shaft construction works and the head house structure on the surface are substantially complete, with finishing works in progress. M&E installations are ongoing. Being a shallow shaft with direct access to the surface, there is no safe haven necessary at the bottom of this shaft.

EMERGENCY ACCESS SHAFT E4 (HOUGHTON)

Shaft construction works and the head house structure on the surface are substantially complete, with finishing works in progress. M&E installations are ongoing. Like E3, being a shallow shaft with direct access to the surface, there is no safe haven necessary at the bottom of this shaft.

ROSEBANK STATION

At Rosebank Station, backfilling of the roof slab over the station box is approaching completion and is ongoing over the northern cut and cover structure. Preparations are underway for the reinstatement of Oxford Road above the station structure, which will follow in the next few months.

Within the station itself, internal brickwork and plastering at the concourse and platform areas are substantially complete, Wall tiling at concourse level is well advanced, painting and finishing works are in progress and floor tiling has commenced. Mechanical and electrical (M&E) works, including escalator installation, are ongoing.

At the parkade structure, construction of the first level deck is ongoing, as are the installation of surface beds and kerbing on the ground floor level.

EMERGENCY ACCESS SHAFT E5 (DUNKELD, ROSEBANK)

Construction of the safe haven and technical rooms located at the bottom of this shaft is ongoing.

EMERGENCY ACCESS SHAFT E6 (ILLOVO)

Construction of the safe haven and technical rooms located at the bottom of this shaft is ongoing.

EMERGENCY ACCESS SHAFT E7 (WESTERN SIDE OF RIVONIA ROAD, SANDTON)

Construction of the safe haven and technical rooms located at the bottom of this shaft is ongoing.

SANDTON STATION

At 45 metres (15 storeys) below ground level, Sandton Station is Gautrain’s deepest station.

Underground station construction works are well advanced within all parts of Sandton Station, where final finishings are in progress. A vast amount of M&E installations, including lifts, escalators, ventilation systems and public address systems are ongoing.  The testing and commissioning of all of these components are well advanced.

At platform level, final finishings are in progress and the adjacent railway lines are energized, Trial Running of the Electrostar Trains and the associated railway systems between Sandton Station and ORTIA commenced on 12 April 2010.

At the corner of Rivonia Road and West Street, where the station entrance is located, works are ongoing on the cluster of the glazed steel canopies that will form the impressive station entrance structure.

Construction of the adjacent multi-level parkade, is progressing apace, where brickwork, plastering and M&E installations within the completed areas of this structure are ongoing.

MUSHROOM FARM PARK CONSTRUCTION SHAFT

Mushroom Farm Park was a temporary shaft, which was used to provide access for tunnel construction in both northern and southern directions simultaneously. All tunnelling and construction works carried out from this shaft were completed during 2009. The shaft was subsequently backfilled and the community park was reinstated, landscaped and upgraded. The park has been handed back to the City.

MARLBORO PORTAL

The portal at Marlboro is the point where the tunnel section ‘daylights’.  It separates the underground and surface sections of the route. Apart from final finishings and some landscaping, works in this area are complete. Since 26 February 2010, the Gautrain Electrostar trains have been running from ORTIA and through the tunnel to Sandton on a regular basis and Trial Running on this section of the System commenced on 12 April 2010.

2.Surface alignment

VIADUCTS 1A AND 11 OVER JUKSKEI RIVER AND EAST BANK ROAD

Viaducts 1A and 11, which are  located between the Portal and Marlboro Station and carry the railway lines across the Jukskei River and East Bank Drive, are both complete, as are the rest of the construction works and railway installations in this area.

 MARLBORO STATION

  At Marlboro Station, construction works and M&E installations are complete, as are the  internal finishes. Platform tiling is complete and finishing works are well advanced

External works at the bus terminus area and on the parkade deck, including erection of the shade cloth carpark canopies, are also substantially complete. The station perimeter wall and palisade fencing is well advanced.

Widening of Marlboro Drive and the upgrading of the public roads proving access to the station are in progress.

B) NORTHERN SECTION (Depot to Hatfield Station)

VIADUCT 2 OVER MODDERFONTEIN SPRUIT

 Viaduct 2 and the two adjacent bridges over the future Frankenwald and Maxwell Roads are complete, with railway infrastructure in place across all three of these structures and this section of the alignment is operational.

TRAIN AND BUS DEPOTS

All Train Depot facilities, including the maintenance workshops, the train system administration buildings and operations control centre, are complete and operational.  This centre is the heartbeat of Gautrain from where signalling, telecommunications, automatic fare collection, traction power and overhead distribution CCTV cameras and maintenance will be managed using world-class, high technology systems.

At the Train Depot, Gautrain’s 24 train sets will be maintained, serviced cleaned, and securely stabled overnight.

At the adjacent Bus Maintenance Depot, which will perform a similar function for Gautrain’s dedicated fleet of 125 luxury buses, construction is substantially complete. Most facilities have been handed over to the bus operator and handover of the remainder will follow in early May 2010. Operating staff have moved into the administration building and bus deliveries will commence next month.

RAIL YARD AND TRACKWORKS

All trackwork and the stabling sidings within the Depot area are complete, energized and operational. Trial Running exercises within the Depot were completed during April 2010.

On the mainline sections, trackworks are complete from Sandton Station to ORTIA on the East-West Line and to Dale Road in Midrand on the North-South Line. All of these lines are energized and operational.

Tracklaying from Dale Road northwards commenced late last year and by the end of March, tracklaying operations had progressed to the vicinity of the Brakfontein  Road Bridge to the north of Midrand Station.

RAIL CAR ASSEMBLY AND TESTING

By the end of April, 70 of the 96 rail cars had been delivered to the Depot. This equates to 17 complete four-car trains.

Gautrain’s rolling stock of 96 rail cars is based on the renowned Bombardier Electrostar series, which is used extensively in the United Kingdom.

The first 15 rail cars were manufactured and fully assembled at Bombardier Transportation’s facility in Derby in the U.K. The manufacture of body shells and components for the remainder of the fleet is ongoing. All 15 of these Derby-built rail cars were delivered to the Depot during the first half of 2009.

 The body shells and major components for the remaining 81 rail cars are being ‘flat packed’ into crates and shipped to South Africa for assembly in Nigel. Delivery to the Depot of rail cars assembled at Union Carriage and Wagon Partnership in Nigel, which commenced during April 2009, is ongoing, with 55 of these locally assembled rail cars delivered by the end of April 2010.

Trial Running on the full Phase 1 section of the System between the Depot, Sandton and ORTIA commenced during April 2010 and is ongoing.

VIADUCT 3 OVER ALLENDALE ROAD

North of the Depot, Viaduct 3 and all bridges, construction works and railway installations are complete to beyond Midrand Station, with only some minor finishing items and completion of landscaping works outstanding. This section of the route includes the test track, where dynamic testing of train sets is ongoing.

MIDRAND STATION

At Midrand Station, station building works are substantially complete, with roof cladding to the platforms and over the concourse installed and glazing of the facades is in progress. Interior tiling and finishing works, together with M&E installations, are well advanced. Platforms are substantially complete and platform tiling will commence shortly.

 Externally, the upper car park area has been surfaced and erection of carport structures is ongoing. Layerworks on the lower level bus terminus area are approaching completion, as is the erection of bus canopy and walkway canopies. Layerworks and kerbing on the new section of Grand Central Boulevard, which forms the access road into the station, is complete and surfacing will follow during April.

From Midrand Station to the Technopark area at Centurion, civil works are approaching completion. Completion of fencing, landscaping and finishing works are ongoing. Catenary masts have bee erected along most of this section and tracklaying is ongoing to the north of Midrand Station. By month end, tracklaying operations had progressed to the vicinity of Brakfontein Road Bridge.

VIADUCT 4 OVER RIETSPRUIT AND OLIFANTSFONTEIN ROAD SOUTH

 Viaduct 4 is complete and railway lines and associated railway infrastructure have been installed across this structure.

VIADUCT 5 OVER THE N1, BEN SCHOEMAN AND INCLUDING CENTURION STATION

 Viaduct 5c carries the elevated Gautrain railway lines through Centurion. It supports the elevated Centurion Station platforms located approximately midway along its length.

A notable achievement during April 2010 has been the completion of all segmental viaduct deck spans on this viaduct. This now forms a continuous link between the balanced cantilever viaducts crossing the N1 highway at John Vorster interchange in the south and the Ben Schoeman highway at the Jean Avenue interchange in the north.  Access for railway infrastructure installation to completed sections of this viaduct has been provided, where catenary mast erection has started.

Construction of the in-situ balanced cantilever viaducts crossing the highways at the John Vorster and Jean Avenue interchanges also reached a significant milestone during the month, with the casting of the final deck closure section at Jean Avenue having taken place  place on 16 April 2010. Deck construction at both of these viaducts is, therefore, now complete. Cable trough construction, parapet erection and finishing works atop both of these exceptionally graceful structures are ongoing.

The Centurion Station platforms are elevated and are located on Viaduct 5, which runs immediately adjacent and parallel to West Street. The concourse buildings and parking area are at ground level. and Structural works are complete, apart from the reinforced concrete escape stairs, where construction is ongoing. Station building works are complete and glazing of the West Street and parking area façades is also approaching completion. Within the concourse, M&E installations and finishing trades are ongoing, with floor tiling and wall tiling both well advanced. Dynamic compaction and earthworks at the parking area are ongoing, as are layerworks to some of these areas. Construction of the bus terminus buildings is ongoing.

VIADUCT 6 OVER EEUFEES ROAD

At Viaduct 6, erection of the final sixth deck span was completed by month end. Parapet installation and deck finishing works are ongoing.

VIADUCT 7 OVER NELSON MANDELA BOULEVARD

Construction of this set of “Y-shaped” viaducts and flyovers that carry the Gautrain railway lines across Nelson Mandela Boulevard and the adjacent PRASA railway network is progressing apace.  All deck sections are substantially complete and parapet erection, cable troughs and finishing works are ongoing. 

PRETORIA STATION

At Pretoria Station, construction and building works are substantially complete and internal finishing and M&E works are also well advanced.

Parking area construction is ongoing and refurbishment of the historically significant coach washing shed, that has been incorporated into the station design, are ongoing.

 HATFIELD STATION

At Hatfield Station, where the parkade structure and concourse slabs were completed a few weeks ago, erection of the concourse steelwork is in progress and platform construction below the concourse slab has commenced. M&E installations within the parkade structure are ongoing. At the adjacent Grosvenor Street Bridge, the deck spans have been cast and finishing works are in progress.  Construction of the bus management facilities within the bus terminus area is ongoing.

Between Pretoria Station and Hatfield Station, a number of bridges crossing the existing PRASA railway line require to either be widened or lengthened to accommodate the adjacent Gautrain tracks. Whilst most of these bridges have already been completed and reopened to traffic, works on the remaining structures are ongoing. Extensive lateral support works in cuttings, together with the earthworks and construction of the retaining structures necessary to widen the existing embankments, are ongoing.

C) EAST-WEST AIRPORT LINK

3.Airport Link (Marlboro Station to OR Tambo International Airport)

Civil construction works are complete along the entire airport link, which includes eleven bridges, three viaducts and a number of other structures, including the platforms for a future station at Modderfontein.

Trackworks and associated railway infrastructure are also complete, with this section of the route now energized and operational. Trial Running along this section of the alignment started on 12 April 2010 and is ongoing.

VIADUCT 13 OVER CENTENARY WAY, MODDERFONTEIN

Viaduct 13 is complete, with the railway lines across this structure now in use.

VIADUCT 14 OVER ZUURFONTEIN ROAD AND RAILWAY LINE

Viaduct 14 is complete, with the railway lines across this structure now in use.

VIADUCT 15 INCLUDING RHODESFIELD STATION

Rhodesfield Station is positioned approximately one third of the way along Viaduct 15, directly above the existing PRASA railway lines running between Isando and Kempton Park.  The platforms are elevated, with the station entrance, concourse and parking area located at ground level, on the eastern side of the existing railway lines.

Construction of this station is approaching completion. The platforms, access ways and the station buildings are all substantially complete, as are internal finishes and the installation of technical equipment. Platform tiling to both platforms has also been completed.

Externally, the parking area construction is well advanced. Bus canopy structures have been installed and erection of carport canopies is ongoing. On the western side of the elevated station, emergency escape staricases have been installed. The erection of boundary walls and palisade fencing is in progress.

Immediately adjacent to the Gautrain station, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) continues with construction of a new station on its system. This will provide commuters with a convenient transfer link between the Gautrain and PRASA systems. Construction of the PRASA station is making good progress and it is expected that this station will be completed in time for the Soccer World Cup.

Viaduct 15 is complete, with the railway lines across this structure now in use.

VIADUCT 15 INCLUDING OR TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (ORTIA) STATION

 The ORTIA Station concourse is located at the eastern end of viaduct 15 and is directly linked to the departures level of the adjacent new Central Terminal Building, one level below.

 This station is now complete, with only some minor road reinstatements and removal of the construction site establishment remaining to be attended to.