The Gautrain rail link project is being seen as an opportunity for South Africa to show its mettle in public-private partnership (PPP) and infrastructure projects. Gautrain consists of an 80km high-speed rail system linking Johannesburg, Tshwane (Pretoria) and Johannesburg International Airport. It is being procured using a PPP model and is the largest transportation infrastructure PPP project undertaken in South Africa (and Africa) to date. The private sector participation entails the design, construction, operation and maintenance and part-financing of the system.
Following the announcement of the Bombela Consortium, comprising Bombardier Transportation, Bouygues Travaux Publics, Murray & Roberts, the Loliwe and SPG companies and RATP Developpement, the Gauteng Provincial Government is negotiating the concession documents with Bombela, with a view to achieving financial closure at the end of this year. The concession period consists of a four-and-a-half-year construction period followed by a 15-year operating period.
