With approximately 11 of the first 20 trains already in South Africa from Brazil and the construction of the train Manufacturing Factory well underway in Ekurhuleni for the reminder of the 580 car trains, PRASA is ready to unveil its mock up train to the public. The unveiling will take place on Wednesday, 19 October 2016 and will operate Monday to Friday from 08h00 till 17h00 daily.
The single coach mock-up train has been placed at Pretoria Station precinct which was the most suitable area structurally to hold the coach with enough space also to transport the coach on the road without the need to demolish existing structures. Special flat-bed trucks and cranes were used to place the coach in its current location with electricity feeds to power the lights and give the mock-up an actual operational feel. The coach is a replica of the trains to be used longer corridor train trips such as between Pretoria and Johannesburg.
The new trains are designed in the same state-of-the-art passenger safety and comfort standards adopted internationally. There is air conditioning throughout the train eliminating the current window design which can open which means the train will be cool in summer and warm in winter. Passengers can view real-time travel information on the next station both inside, the front and the sides of the coaches of the news train. The trains are designed for Universal Access for all passengers not just abled bodied passengers with special areas for passengers using wheelchairs.
The new trains no longer have closed coaches at each end but will be one continuous tube with all six coaches visible from the one end to the other. On-board CCTV cameras have been specially designed for passenger safety on-board with added emergency calling button in case of extreme emergency. The train’s technology is safety specific and the entire train will not move when passengers are blocking the door, only when all doors are closed will the train move. Drivers will be able to communicate with passengers via the on-board communication system should the need arise.
The new trains are expected to start running at the first deployment corridor between Pienaarspoort and Koedoespoort in Pretoria while PRASA continues to modernise the rest of its infrastructure over the next 20 years as part of its Modernisation Programme.
For the next 10 to 15 years, PRASA will continue to run the current trains and will gradually phase-out the current trains as the Modernisation Programme progresses to different areas. This means that PRASA will continue to refurbish its current trains and improve on its operational efficiencies. The Modernisation Programme and the roll out of new trains will see PRASA deliver a world class quality to the people of South Africa.
Contact Person:
Nana Zenani
Cell: 083 297 5905
E-mail: nzenani@prasa.com
Additional information
How many trains is PRASA buying?
- 3 600 vehicles of six car train sets will be delivered over the next 10 years
- 20 trains will be manufactured in Brazil. 580 trains will be manufactured in the PRASA train manufacturing factory currently under construction in Dannotta, Ekurhuleni
- Each train will carry 1,344 passengers per 6-car train (Metro)
- The design life of the train is 40 years after which it must be replace
