Gautrain spends R15 billion on new locally built trains

French multinational train manufacturer Alstom has agreed to build eight upgraded trains for the Gautrain at its Ubunye facility in Nigel, Ekurhuleni.

It will also oversee the rail network for the next 15 years as a member of the Sihamba Sonke Mobility (SSM) consortium.

Overall, Alstom’s share of the Gautrain contract, which it said will be booked in the second quarter of its 2025/26 financial year, is worth R15 billion.

Under the agreement, the multinational manufacturer will build eight new Gautrain units and a new signalling system while it upgrades existing rail system communications and provides long-term rail maintenance.

In the past, Alstom manufactured trains for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), supplying the state-owned entity with passenger trains.

Alstom supplied 600 XTrapolis Mega trains between 2015 and 2025 in an R51 billion contract that included constructing a local manufacturing facility.

These trains can reach 120 km/h (upgradable to 160 km/h) and include several features like air conditioning, ergonomic seats, real-time on-board information, and Wi-Fi.

The plan was to replace the ageing trains in service in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban with 1,200 new electric trains over 20 years, to be manufactured at a facility in Ekurhuleni.

Alstom inaugurated the facility built by Gibela, an Alstom-led joint venture, in 2018, calling it the largest and most advanced centre for manufacturing trains in Africa.

The 53,000-square-metre manufacturing hub in Nigel, Ekurhuleni, took 22 months to complete and employed over 700 employees at the time of its opening, mostly from the local area.

“Its manufacturing workshops are designed in a modular format to enable lean manufacturing processes which will, at peak production, produce 62 trains per year,” Alstom said.

Building new trains in Gauteng

The Ubunye facility in Ekurhuleni will manufacture the new Gautrain train units and will also refurbish the existing Gautrain fleet, according to Alstom.

The SSM Consortium previously outlined improvement plans for the Gautrain that will be implemented over the next 15 years.

These plans included expanding public Wi-Fi for commuters, full backup power for Gautrain stations, and a new smartphone-based digital platform allowing customers to book tickets.

“These activities are designed to increase the system capacity, increase train frequency, enhance passengers’ experience and secure the long-term performance of the Gautrain network,” Alstom said.

According to Alstom Southern Africa managing director Tristan le Masne, the next phase of the Gautrain would deliver seamless and more reliable mobility.

“Travellers will benefit from more frequent train service and smoother connections across the network,” he said.

“Alstom will work alongside its SSM partners and GMA to implement the program while ensuring seamless continuity for Gautrain passengers,” the company added.

In September, the Gauteng Provincial Government revealed that the rail network had recorded more than 216 million passenger trips since its launch 16 years ago.

A consortium of partners, which includes a joint venture between Old Mutual’s African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) and Motseng Investment Holdings, will join the French company.

Mpho Mutloane, Investment Principal at AIIM and Sihamba Sonke Mobility, said the Gautrain has become an important part of Gauteng’s economic and transport infrastructure.

“Our focus is on ensuring continuity, maintaining the standards commuters have come to expect and investing in the system so that it can continue to serve the people and economy of Gauteng for many years to come,” he noted.