2010 was one of the most exciting years in the history of South Africa and more specifically Gauteng. Not only was it the year the Soccer World Cup was held in South Africa, but it was also the year the Gautrain was opened – a state-of-the-art rapid rail network in Gauteng.
The Gautrain rail connection consists of two main links, one between Pretoria and Johannesburg and another between OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton. Apart from the three anchor stations on these two links, seven other stations are linked by approximately 80 kilometres of rail along the route.
The Gautrain offers international standards of public transport with high levels of safety, reliability, predictability and comfort. Travelling at maximum speeds of 160 to 180 kilometres per hour it reaches Pretoria from Johannesburg in less than 40 minutes. The minimum frequency between Johannesburg and Pretoria is six trains per hour per direction and it operates approximately 18 hours per day. This public transport service includes a dedicated, exclusive bus services to transport passengers to and from stations.
How was the Gautrain built?
Franki Geotechnical Engineering Contractors were responsible for the innovative design solutions and efficient implementation of the Gautrain.
PART 1: Their first priority was to install the lateral support/perimeter piles. These comprised more than 540, 750-diameter straight-shafted auger piles ranging from 11m to 33m in depth, which formed the temporary perimeter wall of the excavation. More than 120 000m³ of sail was removed.
PART 2: The second part of the operation was to install a capping beam and balustrade wall joining all the piles to further knit the piles together, while at the same time acting as a safety barrier for the excavation.
PART 3: The third element of the lateral support system comprises anchors, gunite / shotcrete against the soil faces and rock bolts on the rock faces. Each pile was anchored by several hollow bar Titan or strand anchors of which there were almost 3000. The arches between the piles were supported with more than 10 500m² of 100mm-thick gunite/shotcrete, while at the south end of the excavation, where there was approximately 2 500m³ of rock, conventional rock bolts will be used.
Picture : Construction of the Gautrain
My test ride on the Gautrain
So, is it easier to take the Gautrain to the airport or to drive? I did not know the answer and decided to test this out. So on Sunday morning 22 May, I challenged my dad to race me to the airport; I would take the Gautrain and he would drive – at the speed limit – and we would see who got their first.
Pictures above: My journey on the Gautrain
I was really interested in the prospect, and I backed my chances of winning! We left home at 11h10 and dad dropped me off at the station at 11h18. The race was on.
I spent what felt like years of my life travelling down a few flights of escalators and then realised that I needed to upload my train card as it did not have enough money for the fare. The fare to OR Tambo international airport from Sandton was R142. There was only one person ahead of me at the counter and then I was off down another escalator, only to find that I had just missed the train which had left at 11h27. The next train was only 30 minutes later at 11h57! This was extremely disappointing and I felt as if I was doomed. I then checked the schedule on the wall which revealed that a train leaves every 10 minutes on weekdays before 11am but only every 30 minutes on a weekend.
I finally got onto the train and I had just sat down when dad phoned. He had arrived, parked and was at our designated meeting spot – the Kulula check-in counter. And I was only leaving. The entire journey was only 15 minutes, with the train stopping at Marlboro and Rhondesfield along the way before reaching our destination and then it took me a further 5 minutes to walk to the counter. If I had made the 11h27 train, which I could have if I had money preloaded onto the travel card, I would have arrived first.
R142 is rather a lot of money for a one way trip, but then you don’t need to pay for petrol for the trip, not for the cost of the parking (R145 for 8 – 16 hours). But, if you are a family of 5 like ours, it might just be too expensive to travel on the Gautrain.
Of course, our trip was on the weekend. If it had been a weekday, and early in the morning during peak hour traffic, it would have taken much longer to drive to the airport. The Gautrain would still have taken 15 minutes and, despite the cost, we would not miss the flight!
Picture above: Dad is really pleased he beat me by car!
Pictures below: Train tariff and Parking tariff posters.
joziengineered 