Gautrain goes commercial

Johannesburg – Gautrain, the multi-billion rand rapid rail service, opened its doors for the first time ever to the public on Tuesday.

The commercial operation starts three days before the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off, ollowsing shortly after the official launch of Gautrain on Saturday.

People can now buy tickets and travel on Gautrain the same way they would on any Metrorail train.

Barbara Jensen, spokesperson for Gautrain Management Agency, said on Tuesday there was "huge excitement" this morning.

The agency belongs to Gauteng province and is overseeing the construction of the multibillion rand passenger rail project.

Jensen said motorists were parking at the parking bays, getting ready to board the train.

There were queues at the ticket vending machines, she said.

It was too early to provide accurate statistics on how many tickets had been sold, the spokesperson said.

The first Gautrain commercial train departed from Sandton to OR Tambo International Airport at 5:24. The first one leaving OR Tambo left at 5:30.

The Sandton-OR Tambo rail link is crucial for Johannesburg, which will host both the opening and closing ceremonies of the World Cup, running from June 11 to July 11.

This link also forms part of phase one of the Gautrain project. The start of commercial operation on Tuesday comes after Gautrain was officially launched on Saturday.

Other stations that are commercially operational are Rhodesfield and Marlboro stations. The construction on the route from Sandton to Johannesburg Park Station is ongoing.

A trip from OR Tambo to Sandton will cost R100 in either direction. There are other ticket fares applicable to trips between stations.

A single trip from Sandton to Marlboro will cost R16.50, from Sandton to Rhodesfield R21.00; and from Marlboro to Rhodesfield R18.50.

An integrated single train plus single bus trips will cost R22.50 from Sandton to Marlboro, R27.00 from Sandton to Rhodesfield; and R24.50 from Marlboro to Rhodesfield.

Parking at any station will cost R9.50 for the first 24 hours.

The agency said commuters would access all services by means of a contactless smart card – the Gautrain Gold Card, which allows seamless transfer between Gautrain's train, bus and parking services.

Jensen said tickets were sold through vending machines and ticket operators (over the counter). 

 - I-Net Bridge