Responsible for the improvement and expansion of the passenger rail network in SA, Strategic Network Planning GM Dries van der Walt has been in the rail industry for 30 years.
He cites the main challenge in his field as the overwhelming demand for improved rail services with the need for new rail extensions and links as part of efficient integrated public transport networks, along with improved mobility within and between cities.
In seeking to address this need, Van der Walt says the way forward is to develop a master rail passenger plan for SA with specific proposals and business cases for viable rail projects and technology migration strategies to inform capital allocations from national treasury or funding from the private sector.
"Rail solutions create permanency for development, take 40% less space than roads, can move up to 80 000 passengers per hour and are environmentally friendly in terms of pollution, congestion, energy usage and accidents," he says. "Current rail market share of public transport is 15%, whereas more than 70% of the SA population is dependent on public transport."
The Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) intends to increase its market share by bringing public transport solutions close to the people through an aggressive network and technology expansion strategy.
Projects already under way include:
- The Moloto Rail Development Corridor;
- The Cape Town Airport Link;
- The Bridge City Durban Extension;
- Integration with the Gautrain; and the
- Greenview doubling and new station in Tshwane.
Priority projects that are in the planning stages include:
- Motherwell Extension (Port Elizabeth);
- The reintroduction of services in Bloemfontein/Botshabelo; Hammanskraal and Atlantis;
- Link extensions from Nasrec to Soweto and Daveyton Etwatwa;
- Dube Trade Port (King Shaka airport and northern links); and
- Improved high-speed intercity rail services between Gauteng/Limpopo and Gauteng/Durban.
