There were fewer accidents on the railways during the 2020/21 financial year but this should not be cause for celebration, deputy transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said on Wednesday.
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Gautrain CEO William Dachs says he wants to create a sense of joint ownership among communities who live around its stations when the Gautrain concession ends in 2026.
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But planning for multi-billion-rand network extension continues. 00:01
Overcrowding is not such an issue right now â the pandemic has seen demand plummet. Image: Shutterstock
The Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) has placed on hold until further notice the planned investment of R2 billion in procuring additional rolling stock and a depot enhancement project.
This decision was taken because of the massive slump in passenger demand on the high-speed train caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns.
Figures released by the GMA to Moneyweb on Wednesday show that passenger demand on the Gautrain slumped by almost 80% in January 2021 to a total of just 213 953 passenger trips â down from 1 069 235Â in January 2020 and 1 062 462 in January 2019.
Gautrain puts brakes on big expansion plans
4 February 2021 4:59 PM
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Gautrain Management Agency CEO William Dachs says they are encouraged by the infrastructure they are getting.
The Gautrain Management Agency says its plans to expand its services which would have given residents of Soweto and Cosmo City easy access will not happen by 2024.
The GAM has also cancelled its tenders first issued in 2019 seeking to buy second-hand trains from abroad.
The project is not on hold, it s just that our original estimates that we would be starting work by 2024 do not seem that realistic anymore.
William Dachs, Chief Operating Officer - Gautrain Management Agency