On 12 October a security guard and a commuter were wounded when they were fired at on a train when a conductor asked to see tickets at Pienaarspoort, a station serving the eastern extremity of the vast Mamelodi township east of Pretoria. South Africa’s Rail Safety Regulator (RSR) has voiced support for the subsequent withdrawing [...]
Archives for News
WILL GAUTRAIN BE RUNNING IN JUNE 2010?
“The good news is that, if you ask me today, yes, we can make it,” Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) CEO and Gauteng government Gautrain project leader Jack van der Merwe told Engineering News. He was referring to finishing the airport line in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. “At the moment it is [...]
ZAZU® SOCCER HORN ORIGINATED ON THE RAILWAY
According to publicity material accompanying the launch of the ZaZu® soccer horn, its origin “stems from the use of a kudu horn blown to summon people to various events and gatherings. In more recent times it was used on the South African Railways to alert passengers to the departure of a train.
“Inventor Fanie Neethling and [...]
GAUTRAIN, IT’S A GAUTENG THING
Photo: Craig Dean
One could be forgiven for putting the Gautrain, art and fashion in the same sentence. It’s a good looking beast when you are up close and personal, and the art form would be the way it looks as it speeds across the landscape albeit in this case just over Allandale. I could [...]
HAND HELD TOOLS, JUST GOT SMARTER
Yale Engineering Products (Pty) Ltd is pleased to announce their appointment as a partner to Robel for their prestigious range of small machinery for on track maintenance, throughout Southern Africa.
Amongst the complete range of Robel machines on offer are a number of products that will be introduced to the Southern African market and these include:
Original [...]
GAUTRAIN PROGRESS: MARLBORO-AIRPORT
On the East-West airport line, tracklaying from
behind Linbro Park towards OR Tambo International Airport commenced at the end of April and is progressing steadily eastwards. By the end of September, installation of twin-track railway lines was substantially complete to just west of the Kelvin power station and tracklaying operations were in progress along the remainder [...]
GAUTRAIN PROGRESS: PRETORIA-HATFIELD
VIADUCT 7
Construction of viaduct 7 is progressing well, with the deck to the section that will carry the line across Nelson Mandela Boulevard clearly visible. The M-beams for the first eight spans of Viaduct 7.1 have been placed in position, seven deck spans have been cast and parapet erection is in progress. Pier [...]
WESTS STATION, DURBAN
Transnet Freight Rail, it is understood, would like to close the passenger station at Wests, harbour security being one of the reasons advanced. This station, at the northern extremity of the lengthy peninsula known as the Bluff, has been the terminus of commuter trains from Durban central (20.1km) for 111 years. Its closure would mean [...]
SHORT COMMUTER SETS
[ Posted by Johannesburg University’s Dr Vaughan Mostert on sar-L:
“These [short set] trains were introduced (without much fanfare) at about the same time as the Soweto and Tshwane Business Expresses. They run between Springs and Johannesburg (two sets) and Randfontein and Johannesburg (also two sets). They are all-first-class sets of either five or [...]
GAUTRAIN PROGRESS: MIDRAND-CENTURION-PRETORIA
VIADUCT 3
North of the depot, Viaduct 3 over Allandale Road and the adjacent bridge over the future K60 road are both complete, as are all other bridges, construction works and railway installations up to Dale Road in Midrand, with only some minor finishing works outstanding.
MIDRAND STATION
At Midrand station, building works and platform construction – including [...]
