Plans to expand Gautrain beyond Johannesburg, Pretoria
South Africa’s only high-speed rail network is drawing up a multibillion-rand plan to expand outside Johannesburg and Pretoria, joining a potential bonanza of infrastructure projects the government says are key to reviving the economy.
A proposal for the venture is awaiting sign-off by national treasury, William Dachs, CEO of the Gautrain company, said in an interview. Investment and loans would come from a mix of private investors and state institutions such as the Development Bank of Southern Africa, he said.
“Cities that do not plan around public transport suffer great financial and economic consequences,” said Dachs.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed infrastructure at the heart of his plan to revive an economy devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, underinvestment and corruption. He sees the government spending R100-billion on various projects, with the aim of attracting 10 times as much private investment within four years. His plans include the privatisation of some older railway systems and routes, which have struggled with years of mismanagement, vandalism and theft.
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