Constructing new trains will provide jobs

Pretoria - New, modern and safe commuter trains will hit the tracks next year, Communications Minister Faith Muthambi said on Thursday.

Briefing the media in Pretoria following the cabinet's fortnightly meeting the day before, she said the executive welcomed the Passenger Rail Agency of SA's massive rail revitalisation programme.

"Prasa will spend R51bn over the next 10 years to procure 600 top-class trains for... South Africa."

A total of 580 of these would be manufactured locally at a new R1bn factory to be established in Dunnotar, outside Nigel, in Ekurhuleni.

"The 600 000m² manufacturing facility is designed to house the manufacturing plant, a training facility and a fully fledged industrial park."

The project would create 8 088 direct jobs, as well as many more indirect work opportunities.

"The first [new] Prasa train is expected to hit the track in 2015," Muthambi said.